(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden is not looking to make former President Donald Trump’s legal troubles central to his 2024 pitch, the co-chair of his reelection campaign said Sunday.
“The president has said from the beginning that he wanted an independent Justice Department … so we’re not going to comment,” Cedric Richmond said in an interview with ABC “This Week” co-anchor Martha Raddatz. “We’re not going to focus on Donald Trump’s legal problems.”
Rather than Trump’s charges — including two state and two federal cases, all of which Trump denies — Richmond said Biden will focus on what he and his team view as his legislative accomplishments and attacking the Republican field on policy issues, including abortion, Social Security and Medicare.
“We will let the justice system take care of what the justice system should take care of,” Richmond said.
On Thursday night, as Trump’s motorcade was arriving at the Fulton County, Georgia, jail for his surrender on charges related to the push to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state, Biden blasted out a fundraising pitch online.
“Apropos of nothing, I think today’s a great day to give to my campaign,” Biden wrote in his appeal for money sent out in an email to supporters and on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
Pressed by Raddatz about the timing, Richmond maintained, “I wouldn’t read much into that.” Biden told reporters on Friday only that he had seen Trump’s unprecedented mug shot. “Handsome guy. Wonderful guy,” he said.
Trump himself has looked to capitalize on his fourth indictment, selling T-shirts, mugs and bumper stickers with his mug shot emblazoned on them.
Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung told ABC News that Trump received $4.18 million on Friday, the day after his booking in Atlanta, making it the campaign’s best fundraising day of the 2024 race.
The Biden campaign and the White House have long sought to distance themselves from Trump’s mounting criminal charges. Trump has claimed the cases against him are politically motivated, which prosecutors reject.
Richmond, on Sunday, echoed Biden’s argument that the entire Republican field is too closely tied to Trump’s “extreme” policies and that whoever the party’s 2024 nominee is, they will campaign in Trump’s image.
“I think what we saw that night was a race to the extreme part of the Republican Party, a race to the MAGA base,” Richmond told Raddatz, reacting to last week’s GOP primary debate. “And that’s what we expected.”
Richmond said the debate had no impact on the Biden campaign’s strategy which, so far, has been to lean into the president’s economic agenda under the “Bidenomics” label, built around low unemployment and increasing domestic investments.
Many voters, however, have said in polls that they don’t approve of Biden’s handling of the economy. Republicans have seized on the label as an example of policies that they contend hurt consumers, including by driving up inflation.
Richmond pushed back on “This Week,” pointing to high consumer confidence and job satisfaction among the American people, despite signs of pessimism elsewhere.
Pressed on what the president’s team needed to do to message the benefits they routinely trumpet, Richmond said, “We have to keep telling them about what we’re doing.”
“What we’re gonna do is continue to do what we’ve been doing and that is to talk to people about the fact that we’re creating jobs, bringing costs down, bringing manufacturing back to the United States from overseas,” Richmond said. “And that’s what campaigns are for. For us to go out and tell the story of us meeting challenges, what we’ve accomplished, the challenges we still have to meet and all of those things.”
At Wednesday’s Republican primary debate, in Milwaukee, candidates took aim at Biden’s economic record.
“We need to send Joe Biden back to his basement and reverse American decline and it starts with understanding we must reverse Bidenomics,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said.
Another thing some of the GOP hopefuls are trying to hit Biden on is his age. At 80, he is America’s oldest president.
Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley has called for mental competency tests for candidates over 75 years old — an apparent swipe at Republican front-runner Trump as well, as he is 76. Haley has also suggested Biden won’t live long enough to finish a second term.
Former Vice President Mike Pence said on the debate stage that he was seeking the White House “because we don’t need a president who’s too old, and we don’t need a president who’s too young.”
Though Biden has acknowledged his age is a factor that the public is considering, his campaign won’t engage on it and Biden himself has said his record is proof of his stamina.
“While they talk about age, we will talk about the things that Americans are talking about, and that’s kitchen table issues,” Richmond said Sunday.
“We’re going to focus on the issues at hand and we’ll talk about the fact that this president wants to protect women’s reproductive freedom, we will talk about the fact that he put Ketanji Brown Jackson on the Supreme Court and that labor, climate groups and women’s organizations are all — have endorsed him already,” Richmond said.
ABC News’ Soo Rin Kim and Lalee Ibssa contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — Chris Christie said on Sunday that the “most amazing part” of the first Republican primary debate was seeing the majority of candidates say they would support Donald Trump as the party’s nominee even if the former president is criminally convicted — as Christie called that a recipe for “four more years of Joe Biden.”
Speaking on ABC’s “This Week” with co-anchor Martha Raddatz, the former New Jersey governor, who is challenging Trump as one of his most vocal conservative critics in the primary, dismissed the possibility “that you can have a convicted felon as our nominee for president” and that Trump could potentially win against President Biden.
Christie, a former ABC News contributor, said he believes that is an “impossibility.”
Trump denies all wrongdoing.
“I think what it’ll mean for folks across the country is for more years of Joe Biden and for Republican primary voters, they have to think about what that’ll mean: potentially a packed Supreme Court, potentially the elimination of the filibuster [in the Senate] and a lot more,” Christie said, adding, “What’s at stake here is we need to nominate someone who’s proven that they can beat Democratic incumbents.”
Asked by Raddatz about the voters who have expressed a lack of interest in Trump’s looming criminal proceedings and instead pointed to the legal troubles of the president’s son Hunter Biden, Christie said that Hunter Biden, who has been accused of tax crimes, is not running for office.
Both Hunter Biden and Trump have pleaded not guilty to their charges.
“Some of those voters who say that the Hunter Biden thing matters but Donald Trump’s doesn’t — that’s just wishful thinking,” Christie said. “The fact is that the two people who would be on the ballot if we nominated Donald Trump would be Donald Trump and Joe Biden, not Hunter Biden. And the fact is, it’s the conduct of the people who are running for office that’s going to matter the most.”
According to a post-debate FiveThirtyEight/Washington Post/Ipsos poll, 22% of likely Republican primary voters said that Christie had the worst night on stage, the highest share of any candidate.
When asked Sunday for his reaction, Christie dismissed those numbers, saying other surveys show he did better.
“I don’t think that the polls really matter all that much. What matters and what’s going to endure is do people see someone up there telling the truth or not? Do they see you playing politics, or do you see you working for the American people and what they believe in?” Christie said.
Christie, who sparred frequently with entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy at Wednesday’s debate in Milwaukee, was pressed by Raddatz on the strategy behind his and other’s attacks on Ramaswamy — who is rising in national surveys of primary voters — and why they decided to target him instead of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who remains in second place in the race behind Trump, according to FiveThirtyEight’s polling average.
“Look, I think the idea of ‘why don’t we go after this one or go after that one?’ — my job is to communicate my vision for the future of the country. And if there’s something that someone says that I drastically object to, and I have the opportunity to do so, I’ll do it,” Christie said. “Gov. DeSantis’s answers that night, while some of them I might disagree with, I didn’t think it rose to the level of having to get in a back and forth with him in the first debate in August of 2023.”
Christie added that he predicts “whatever happens in debate No. 1 will not be determinative of the Iowa caucus or the New Hampshire primary” early next year.
Asked if he believed Trump would show up to the next primary debate, on Sept. 27 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, Christie said he thinks Trump will not want to get anywhere near the venue and “suffer that comparison” to “an honest, direct, successful conservative” like Reagan. (Trump has criticized Christie in turn as a “failed” governor and candidate.)
Trump campaign adviser Chris LaCivita said last week that while Trump “could change his mind at any moment,” he’s likely not going to attend the next debate. Trump has suggested he sees no value in attending debates, given his large lead.
“But we’ll see if he shows up for debate No. 3, in Alabama,” Christie said on Sunday. “I think that one is much more likely that he’ll show up. I certainly don’t think he’ll be showing up at the Reagan Library.”
(WASHINGTON) — Martin Luther King Jr.’s only grandchild was among those who gathered on the National Mall Saturday to honor the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington, a prominent moment in the Civil Rights Movement that saw him deliver his historic “I Have a Dream” speech.
Yolanda Renee King, 15, told the crowd that if she could speak to her grandfather today, she would say, “I am sorry we still have to be here to rededicate ourselves to finishing your work.”
“Sixty years ago, Dr. King urged us to struggle against the triple evils of racism, poverty and bigotry,” she said. “Today, racism is still with us. Poverty is still with us. And now gun violence has come for our places of worship, our schools and our shopping centers.”
Yolanda Renee King noted another challenge during her remarks that her generation “cannot escape” — climate change.
“When people say my generation is cynical, we say cynicism is a luxury we cannot afford,” she said. “I believe that my generation will be defined by action, not apathy.”
Yolanda Renee King was one of dozens of speakers to address the crowd before the march from the Lincoln Memorial to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. She was joined at the podium by her parents — Martin Luther King III and Arndrea Waters King.
Her mother spoke of growing weary in their civil rights activism, but proclaimed, “We will keep climbing.”
“We are here to liberate the soul of the nation, the soul of democracy from those forces who would have us all go backwards and perish rather than go forward as sisters and brothers,” Arndrea Waters King said. “We will never betray those who marched for us, fought for us, lived for us, died for us. We are the children and the grandchildren of their struggles, and we will be worthy of their sacrifices.”
“This is about freedom. This is about peace. This is about love This is about our children,” she continued. “We are not here for commemoration. We are here for a rededication to the fight for a future where at long last America’s practice will be as good as its promise.”
Martin Luther King III, one of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King’s four children, spoke of his parents’ dedication to “embracing love and lifting up the goodness in people.”
“We need us all to be engaged. Dad would probably say, now is the time,” he said. “We must preserve, protect and expand democracy. We must ensure that voting rights is protected for all people. We must ensure that our women and children are treated fairly. We must end gun violence. Then maybe one day we will be a great nation.”
Martin Luther King III said some may be asking the same question his father asked in the late 1950s: “How long will it be?”
“How long? Not long. Because the moral arc of the universe is long but bends toward justice,” he said, echoing his father’s words from a 1968 speech. “How long? Not long. Because God Almighty is still on the throne. Let’s not give up. Let’s not give in. Let’s not give out. We must move forward to make this nation the nation that it ought to be for all of God’s children.”
A multicultural coalition of more than 100 groups was expected to gather in Washington, D.C., on Saturday in what organizers said wasn’t a commemoration of the 1963 march but a continuation of the fight for civil rights and equality.
Among those to address the crowd before the march were civil rights leader Al Sharpton, who helped organize the march with the Kings; Andrew Young, a former Congressman and aide of Martin Luther King Jr.; civil rights attorney Ben Crump; Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League; Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke; and House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.).
Celebrities including TV host Nick Cannon and comedian Sacha Baron Cohen also spoke.
(WASHINGTON) — From Detroit to Albuquerque, Democratic members of Congress across the country have held events this summer about their party’s efforts to eliminate so-called “junk fees,” with more scheduled in the next few weeks.
Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin, the three-term congresswoman who represents a purple district in Michigan and is running for the U.S. Senate, held an event Friday with constituents to talk about a bill she co-sponsored that would increase transparency—legislation backed by President Joe Biden.
The president, too, has focused significant time on the issue over the last several months , targeting fees that hit consumers, often by surprise, in banking, travel and entertainment sectors.
In a sign of how Democrats are seizing the issue, Reps. Debbie Dingell and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico, and Brendan Boyle have all already held events this month touting Democrats’ efforts to combat junk fees, while Rep. Brendan Boyle sat down with ABC’s Philadelphia affiliate 6ABC to promote new legislation.
Becky Chong, a stay-at-home mom of small children from Medford, Oregon, said junk fees have limited the things her and her family can experience together.
“To go on vacation, to do these things, we have to budget extra for these surprise costs. And that just limits the amount of stuff you get to do in a year,” Chong, who got saddled with surprise fees while planning a family vacation this summer, told ABC News.
“If you have only so much money to spend, and you’re taking a percentage of this to pay these surprise junk fees, that’s less to do, that’s less to eat, that’s less souvenirs that we get to buy our kids as mementos for the things that we do because you only have a set amount of money,” she added.
In February, Biden made tackling junk fees one of the focuses of his State of the Union address, a speech to Congress in which the president can outline his priorities for the coming year.
“Look, junk fees may not matter to the very wealthy, but they matter to most other folks in homes like the one I grew up in, like many of you did,” Biden said, addressing the American people. “They add up to hundreds of dollars a month. They make it harder for you to pay your bills or afford that family trip.”
“I know how unfair it feels when a company overcharges you and gets away with it. Not anymore,” the president also said, later adding that, “Americans are tired of being — we’re tired of being played for suckers.”
Chong said these fees “upset” her.
“I just feel like with everything going on–you have increased inflation, you have increased prices–and now this is just- these are more ways for corporations to gouge people. And it’s just unfair and it’s unbalanced,” Chong said.
“It’s like we work hard for our money and we should be able to spend it the way we choose not the way we’re being told to spend it,” she added.
Rich Weingartner, who attended Slotkin’s event in Lansing, said he was blindsided by broadcast and regional sports fees from his TV provider that were mandatory because of the package he was contracted for and that he’s had to downgrade his cable package to cover the extra cost.
“The only way to do that, to offset the increased fees each year, was to go to a lower amount of service,” Weingartner told ABC News. “Without the fees I probably wouldn’t have dropped down a service level.”
He said the fees make up nearly a quarter of his monthly bill.
“It’s more of a- not necessarily a financial (thing) to me, it’s just them, you know, their power over us as a big corporation to pretty much do whatever they want to the consumers and there’s nothing us as a consumer can do,” Weingartner added.
Weingartner also said these hidden fees have made him reconsider buying tickets for different experiences.
“Lots of times these fees are starting to get to the point where I’m like it’s not worth it anymore,” he said of looking for tickets on Ticketmaster.
Biden announced in June that his administration secured commitments from several companies, including SeatGeek, Ticketmaster and Live Nation, to adopt so-called “all-in pricing” that would provide consumers will a single total price for purchases.
Ticketmaster in November was on the receiving end of widespread, blistering condemnation after fans of pop star Taylor Swift faced hidden fees at checkout. The fiasco led to a U.S. Senate hearing, and a lawsuit brought by Swift’s fans.
The White House said Live Nation Entertainment, the resulting name after Ticketmaster and Live Nation merged, plans to roll out the option next month.
“This a win for consumers, in my view, and proof that our crackdown on junk fees has real momentum,” Biden said during a roundtable with business leaders, before acknowledging there was more work the administration needed to do.
Last month, the Biden administration rolled out a plan with rental websites Zillow, Apartments.com, and AffordableHousing.com will add a feature to their sites that would show prospective renters all associated fees up front.
Those charges include “convenience fees” that many tenants face when they pay their rent online, and application fees, according to the White House.
“President Biden has directed his Administration to pull every lever and sharpen every tool to eliminate hidden fees from every industry in our economy – from bank overdraft fees to airline fees,” White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients told ABC News in a statement. “Getting hundreds of dollars a month back in the American people’s pockets will make a meaningful difference for hard-working families across the country.”
A senior administration official said the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has “effectively eliminated” most American bank’s use of overdraft fees. Additionally, the Biden administration earlier this year introduced a rule to cap late credit card payments at $8.
They are also working to draft a Department of Transportation rule that would push airlines to drop family seating fees, the senior administration added.
The White House argues Biden’s efforts to crack down on these fees does not make him anti-business.
“He’s got no problem with companies turning a profit and people getting rich,” Bharat Ramamurti, the deputy director of the National Economic Council, told ABC News in an interview. “But you know, we should do business fairly and make sure that consumers know what they’re getting themselves into.”
The Progressive Change Campaign Committee, an advocacy group, has worked with some congressional members to put on their junk fees events this summer. Their co-president, Adam Green, said tackling the fees is good politics.
“Surprise junk fees hit people at a gut level, and that’s why fighting these fees is so popular with even non-political people,” Green said.
(WASHINGTON) — The first Republican primary debate and a mug shot for the history books.
It was a split-screen week for the GOP as eight presidential hopefuls gathered in Milwaukee on Wednesday night to spar on Ukraine, abortion and other issues.
Absent from the stage but not the public eye was former President Donald Trump, who surrendered Thursday at the Fulton County jail in the Georgia election case. For the first time in his four indictments, Trump had his mug shot taken.
Now, some of his Republican rivals are being asked to weigh in on the image. And some congressional allies are posting their own versions in solidarity.
President Joe Biden’s team, meanwhile, released a new ad hitting the GOP field over their views on abortion.
And the Republican National Committee is already looking ahead to 2028.
Here’s what to know from the campaign trail on Friday, Aug. 25.
Trump’s GOP rivals aren’t pouncing on his surrender
Trump is the first president to ever have their mug shot taken. His Republican rivals for the 2024 nomination, though, aren’t hitting him too hard on the matter.
Reaction started to trickle in on Friday as candidates were asked to respond to the image.
South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, while campaigning in New Hampshire, punted and said, “It’ a tremendous distraction from what the average person and the average household is facing.”
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, during an appearance on Fox & Friends early Friday morning, appeared the most uneasy by the development, but said no one should presume Trump is guilty.
“To me, I think it’s a sad day for America. I think it’s disgraceful. I mean, the idea that we’re seeing a mug shot of a 77-year-old former president — I mean, how did we get to this point? And I don’t know that anyone in America should look at that and feel good about it,” she said before quickly pivoting to discussing inflation.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, seen as Trump’s closest rival, has also been reluctant to bad-mouth the former president.
Stumping in Iowa on Thursday as Trump was surrendering, DeSantis was pressed by ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott to weigh in on the matter.
“Here’s the thing, so candidates got to decide how much are they going to indulge with some of this. So you can ask me to parse Jan. 6, 2021. And then me as a candidate, I have the choice to either parse it for you or to tell you I’m focused on Jan. 20, 2025,” he said.
“So if Republicans let it overwhelm, then it will. But we don’t have to let it overwhelm. We can focus on talking about people’s future and focus squarely on that,” DeSantis added.
Vivek Ramaswamy, who has said he would pardon Trump if elected, called the media coverage surrounding the former president’s surrender “shameful,” on Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle” on Thursday evening.
“This is an indictment not of Donald Trump but of our national civic health,” Ramaswamy said.
-ABC’s Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, Hannah Demissie and Will McDuffie
Some Trump allies share photoshopped mug shots
Georgia lawmakers Marjorie Taylor Greene and Mike Collins shared their own photoshopped mug shots in solidarity with Trump.
“I stand with President Trump against the commie DA Fani Willis who is nothing more than a political hitman tasked with taking out Biden’s top political opponent,” Greene wrote in sharing the image on X, with the hashtag #MAGAMugShot.
Biden’s team releases ad hitting GOP over abortion
The Biden campaign is out with a new digital ad hitting the Republican field for their positions on abortion, saying they are “the last people who should be involved” in what they say is one of “the most personal” decisions a woman can make.
The ad specifically singles out Trump, DeSantis and Scott — referring to them as “These Guys.”
Separately, the political arm of the National Organization for Women endorsed Biden on Friday just minutes before his primary challengers, Marianne Williamson, delivered the keynote at the Georgia chapter’s state conference.
“Women are not going to let the extremists continue on their path of destruction to tear our lives apart,” the group’s president, Christian F. Nunes, said in a statement.
-ABC’s Fritz Farrow
Scott has tense exchange with voter over Trump
Scott, who has centered his campaign on optimism rather than criticism, was confronted by a voter in New Hampshire on his approach to Trump.
“If you don’t stand up to Trump, how are you going to stand up to the president of Russia and China?” David Coffey, a 79-year-old independent who said he supports Chris Christie, asked Scott.
The two went back and forth on the issue, with Scott saying they were in disagreement “with the foundation of the question.”
“Do you want to have a conversation, or do you want to monologue?” Scott said at one point. “I’m happy to listen, but if you want to have a dialogue, then I’ll be speaking as well.”
-ABC’s Gabriella Abdul-Hakim
Houston to host 2028 RNC convention
With still a year left to go before the RNC’s 2024 convention in Milwaukee, the party announced Friday the host city for its convention in 2028: Houston, Texas.
“I will say the RNC was blown away when we came to Houston. We were blown away from start to finish. It was one of the best bids I have ever seen of any city for any convention, and I have no doubt that they will put together one of the best conventions that the entire country has ever seen in 2028,” RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said.
McDaniel also noted that the RNC’s selection of Houston was, in part, due to Republicans’ emphasis mobilizing Hispanic voters and electing Hispanic representatives in recent cycles.
Houston’s Democratic Mayor Sylvester Turner even helped in working to secure the location.
“As the nation’s most diverse and inclusive city, we believe Houston represents the future of the United States and our aspirations as a country. We’re excited to showcase that identity and Houston’s unsurpassed hospitality. We thank the RNC for selecting Houston to host the 2028 Republican National Convention,” Turner said in an RNC news release.
(NEW YORK) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has raised over $1 million since the first GOP presidential primary debate, according to his campaign, as the Florida governor works to build momentum off of Wednesday’s contest.
DeSantis entered the debate looking to make a renewed pitch to a national audience and his campaign quickly worked to capitalize on his performance with an all-day fundraiser with donors in Milwaukee the day after — resulting in a cash win for the Florida governor, according to DeSantis’ campaign.
“People were very happy and excited by his showing,” Hal Lambert, a GOP megadonor and CEO of investment-management firm Point Bridge Capital, told ABC News when asked what the response has been from donors to DeSantis’ debate outing.
“He got his name out there, he got his message out there and so many people haven’t seen it. The more we do these, people are going to realize he’s the only one on that stage that has a chance of beating Trump and is the only one that has a chance to become president.”
Sources who attended the fundraiser in Milwaukee described it similarly to the launch of DeSantis’ presidential campaign in May, in which supporters and DeSantis himself gathered in a room and picked up the phone to call donors.
A close DeSantis adviser told ABC News, “today was a great call day for the campaign. There’s a lot of renewed excitement around his performance last night that translated into a good fundraising day.”
Primary voters were also happy with the governor’s performance.
According to a new FiveThirtyEight, Washington Post/Ipsos poll, which surveyed likely Republican primary voters asking who they thought had the best debate performance, DeSantis came out on top with 29% saying he did the best. Businessman and Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy came second to the governor, with 26%.
The apparent bump for DeSantis comes following several changes within the governor’s campaign over the past month, including laying off more than a third of his staff and replacing his campaign manager, Generra Peck, with his gubernatorial office’s chief of staff, James Uthmeier.
The amount of money raised by the DeSantis campaign since the debate may indicate a sense of renewal among his supporters.
“Ron DeSantis showed last night that he is a proven leader who will deliver results as president, and we are thrilled with the flood of support we have received since his debate victory,” Uthmeier told ABC News in a statement. “We look forward to building on this momentum in the weeks and months ahead as the Governor continues to outwork everyone in this race as he lays out his vision to reverse our nation’s decline and revive the American Dream.”
Other allies of DeSantis celebrated the Florida governor’s performance in Milwaukee Wednesday night, arguing that he stood out as presidential and mature while mudslinging occurred around him.
Chad Wilbanks, a lobbyist supporting DeSantis’ bid, told ABC News that the governor “remained above the fray and acted like an adult.”
The DeSantis campaign had been preparing the public for DeSantis to receive the bulk of attacks, which would prove, they argued in recent days, that his opponents view him as a clear second choice to Trump. The lack of attacks surprised those in his orbit.
“It didn’t go how I expected it to go,” Ken Cuccinelli, founder of the pro-DeSantis super PAC Never Back Down, told ABC News in the spin room afterward. “He’s taken so much incoming up to this point and there wasn’t very much [tonight],” he said, adding he was “very happy” with DeSantis’ performance.
(ATLANTA) — Former President Donald Trump, one of 19 defendants charged by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis for their alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia, was processed and released from Fulton County Jail in Atlanta Thursday night.
The remaining 18 defendants in the case are in the process of surrendering to authorities prior to Friday’s noon deadline, while some mount legal challenges.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Aug 25, 6:14 AM EDT
5 more defendants surrender to authorities
Following Donald Trump’s surrender for processing on Thursday night, five more defendants in the case surrendered overnight at the Fulton County Jail.
Out of the 19 total defendants, only Trevian Kutti and Stephen Lee have yet to turn themselves in as today’s noon deadline approaches.
Both Kutti, a publicist who once repped Ye and R. Kelly, and Lee, an Illinois pastor, are accused of trying to strong-arm election worker Ruby Freeman, who was falsely accused of stealing ballots.
-Aaron Katersky
Aug 24, 10:13 PM EDT
Trump posts mug shot on X in return to social media platform
Trump has posted his mug shot on his X account, marking his first post on the social media platform since Jan. 8, 2021.
Trump was suspended from X — then known as Twitter — following the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. He hadn’t tweeted since new owner Elon Musk reinstated his Twitter account in November 2022 — instead using his Truth Social platform to post messages.
Trump posted his mug shot on Truth Social as well.
Both posts linked to Trump’s 2024 campaign website, where the mug shot was also used as part of a fundraising pitch.
-ABC News’ Soo Rin Kim, Lalee Ibssa and Will Steakin
Aug 24, 8:58 PM EDT
Trump’s mug shot released
The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office has released the mug shot taken of Trump during his processing this evening.
This is the first mug shot to be taken of Trump among his four indictments.
Aug 24, 8:47 PM EDT
Trump: ‘We did nothing wrong’
In remarks before boarding his plane at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Trump said he had the right to challenge an election “we think is dishonest.”
“We did nothing wrong,” said Trump, continuing to falsely claim that the election had been stolen.
“We have every right to challenge the election,” he said.
Trump’s plane is now en route to Newark Liberty International Airport.
Aug 24, 8:00 PM EDT
Trump heading back toward airport
Trump’s motorcade is now en route to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport following his booking and release from the Fulton County Jail.
Aug 24, 7:49 PM EDT
Trump booked, released from Fulton County Jail
Trump has been booked and released from the Fulton County Jail, according to Fulton County Sheriff’s Office records.
His bond was set at $200,000.
Aug 24, 7:34 PM EDT
Trump arrives at Fulton County Jail
Trump has arrived at the Fulton County Jail for his surrender.
Aug 24, 7:24 PM EDT
Jail prepares for Trump’s arrival
Trump’s motorcade is rolling toward the Fulton County Jail.
Ahead of his arrival, sheriff deputies are standing guard outside the jail.
Aug 24, 7:19 PM EDT
Trump working with local Atlanta bonding company
The CEO of an Atlanta bail bond company tells ABC News that they’re working with Trump on his $200,000 bail bond.
Foster Bail Bonds LLC says Trump has put down 10% of the total bond, as required.
-ABC News’ Soo Rin Kim and Lalee Ibssa
Aug 24, 7:03 PM EDT
Trump lands in Atlanta
Trump’s plane has landed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. He is expected to be booked then released at the Fulton County Jail this evening.
Aug 24, 6:28 PM EDT
John Eastman will seek speedy trial separate from others, lawyer says
Appearing on CNN, John Eastman’s attorney Harvey Silverglate said his client intends to sever his case from his co-defendants and pursue a speedy trial.
“We are going to move to sever his case from the others and move for a severed trial which means we want to be tried alone,” Silverglate said. “We’d like to have a speedy trial — that is, we would like to be tried right away. It’ll take three weeks and the whole nightmare will be over for him.”
As of Thursday evening, Eastman has not filed a speedy trial motion or a motion to sever his case, according to his docket.
Eastman is charged with nine counts, including solicitation as well as conspiracies to commit forgery, make false statements and impersonate a public officer. The former Trump lawyer is alleged to have been involved in a scheme to solicit public officers to unlawfully appoint Georgia presidential electors.
Defendant Kenneth Chesebro has also filed for a speedy trial, while Mark Meadows, Kenneth Clark and David Shafer have separately filed to have their cases moved into federal court.
Aug 24, 5:26 PM EDT
Trump plane takes off for Atlanta
Trump’s plane has taken off from New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport en route to Atlanta for his anticipated booking at the Fulton County Jail this evening.
Aug 24, 4:54 PM EDT
Hearing scheduled on Jeffrey Clark’s bid to move charges to federal court
Judge Steve Jones has set a hearing date of Sept. 18 for former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark’s bid to move his Fulton County criminal charges to federal court.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis may submit a written response to Clark’s notice of removal no later than Sept. 5, according to Jones’ order.
Co-defendants Mark Meadows and David Shafer are also seeking to move their cases into federal court.
Aug 24, 4:29 PM EDT
Trump motorcade pulls into Newark Airport
The motorcade carrying Trump has arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport, where the former president is expected to board a flight to Atlanta for his anticipated booking at the Fulton County Jail this evening.
Aug 24, 4:20 PM EDT
Kenneth Chesebro’s trial date set for Oct. 23
Judge Scott McAfee has set Kenneth Chesebro’s trial to begin on Oct. 23, according to a scheduling order.
The attorney’s arraignment will occur on Sept. 6, unless waived, according to the order.
The deadlines only apply to Chesebro and no other defendant, per the order, which follows Chesebro’s request for a speedy trial filed on Wednesday.
District Attorney Fani Willis had requested an October trial date for all 19 defendants following Chesebro’s request, but Trump is opposing that motion.
Aug 24, 4:01 PM EDT
Trump motorcade leaves Bedminster, New Jersey
Trump’s motorcade has left Bedminster, New Jersey, en route to Newark Liberty International Airport ahead of his anticipated booking at the Fulton County Jail this evening.
Aug 24, 3:45 PM EDT
Mug shots released of Meadows, Harrison Floyd
The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office has released mug shots of Mark Meadows and Harrison Floyd, the most recent of the case’s 19 defendants to be booked.
All 19 defendants have negotiated their bond packages, except for Floyd, who remains in custody at the Fulton County Jail. Ten of the 19 defendants have been processed and released.
Aug 24, 3:17 PM EDT
Mark Meadows released
Mark Meadows has been released after surrendering at the Fulton County Jail, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office said.
The former Trump chief of staff posted bond of $100,000.
The remaining eight defendants who have not yet turned themselves in are expected to surrender by Friday’s noon deadline, the office said.
Aug 24, 3:14 PM EDT
Harrison Floyd booked without securing bond
Harrison Floyd has been booked into Fulton County Jail, according to the Fulton County inmate database. No bond has been set for Floyd, according to his docket.
Floyd did not previously negotiate his bond agreement and remains in custody at the jail, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office said.
All of the other defendants who have been booked so far secured their bond package before entering the Fulton County Jail for processing.
The former director of Black Voices for Trump, Floyd allegedly worked to solicit Fulton County election worker Ruby Freeman.
Aug 24, 2:48 PM EDT
Trump opposes DA motion for October trial date
In Trump’s first filing in the case, his attorney is now pushing back on the DA’s motion — which requested an Oct. 23 trial start date for all 19 defendants — saying they oppose it.
“President Trump respectfully puts the Court on notice that he opposes the State’s ‘motion for entry of pretrial scheduling order’ and ‘motion to specially set trial,'” the filing states.
Trump attorney Steven Sadow also notified the court that they would be filing “a timely motion” to sever the case from Cheseboro — who requested the speedy trial– as well as any other defendant who “files such a demand.”
“President Trump further respectfully puts the Court on notice that he requests the Court set a scheduling conference at its earliest convenience so he can be heard on the State’s motions for entry of pretrial scheduling order and to specially set trial,” the filing states.
Aug 24, 2:28 PM EDT
Mark Meadows booked into Fulton County Jail
Mark Meadows has been booked at the Fulton County Jail, according to the Fulton County inmate database.
The former chief of staff unsuccessfully tried to prevent his surrender by filing an emergency motion to stay earlier this week, which was rejected on Wednesday.
His bond has been set at $100,000.
Aug 24, 1:35 PM EDT
Bond for former DOJ official Jeffrey Clark set at $100,000
Bond for former Department of Justice official Jeffrey Clark has been set at $100,000.
Clark’s bail conditions include not communicating with witnesses and co-defendants, reporting to pretrial services by phone every month, surrendering by noon on Friday and not obstructing justice by intimidating witnesses.
Clark unsuccessfully tried to prevent his surrender by filing an emergency motion to stay earlier this week, which was rejected Wednesday in district court.
The indictment alleged that Clark, while serving as a high-ranking DOJ official, made false statements in writing and in person to the acting attorney general and deputy attorney general, requesting authorization to tell Georgia officials that the DOJ “identified significant concerns that may have impacted the outcome of the election in multiple States, including the State of Georgia.”
Aug 24, 1:09 PM EDT
DA Fani Willis requests trial date beginning Oct. 23
District Attorney Fani Willis requested a trial start date of Oct. 23, 2023, for all 19 defendants, according to a filing in response to Kenneth Chesebro’s demand for a speedy trial.
“The State of Georgia, through Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis, and respectfully requests that this Court specially set the trial in this case to commence for all 19 defendants on October 23, 2023,” the motion said.
Aug 24, 1:06 PM EDT
Former Ye publicist and Trump supporter Trevian Kutti gets $75K bond
Trevian Kutti, a publicist who previously represented controversial musicians R. Kelly and Ye, has been given a $75,000 bond, according to her bond agreement signed by Judge Scott McAfee.
Kutti’s bail conditions include not communicating with witnesses and co-defendants, reporting to pretrial services by phone every month and not obstructing justice by intimidating witnesses.
Prosecutors allege that Kutti traveled from Chicago to Atlanta and attempted to contact Ruby Freeman, a Fulton County election worker, in order to convince her to report election fraud claims in testimony.
Aug 24, 12:53 PM EDT
Mark Meadows’ bond set at $100K
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee set bond for former chief of staff Mark Meadows at $100,000.
His bail conditions include not communicating with witnesses and co-defendants, reporting to pretrial services by phone every month and not obstructing justice by intimidating witnesses.
The bond also included a line to ensure he surrenders at Fulton County Jail by Friday at noon.
“The Defendant shall turn himself into the Fulton County Jail by 12:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Friday, August 25, 2023. If the Defendant does not turn himself into the Fulton County Jail by this date and time, this consent bond order shall be null and void,” the consent order said.
Meadows had sought to delay surrendering as he tried to get his case moved to federal court, but that was rejected Wednesday.
Aug 24, 12:03 PM EDT
Fulton County DA subpoenas Raffensperger for Mark Meadows hearing next week
Ahead of the hearing scheduled next week over Mark Meadows’ effort to move the Fulton County RICO case to federal court, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has now issued multiple subpoenas for witnesses to appear, according to court filings in the case.
A federal judge last week ordered an “evidentiary hearing” on Meadows’ motion to remove the case to federal court. Now, four witnesses are subpoenaed to appear.
Willis filed subpoenas on Thursday that had been issued for Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and investigator Francis Watson — both of whom Trump called in the wake of the 2020 election as part of his alleged effort to overturn the results.
Earlier this week, Willis also filed subpoenas for Kurt Hilbert and Alex Kaufman — both of whom were on the Trump-Raffensperger call, according to a transcript of the call.
The subpoenas instruct the witnesses to appear in court for the Meadows hearing on Monday, according to copies of the subpoenas included in the court filings.
That hearing is set for Aug. 28 at 10 a.m. in Atlanta.
Aug 24, 11:06 AM EDT
GOP-led committee opens investigation into DA Fani Willis
The same day Donald Trump is expected to surrender at Fulton County Jail, House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, launched a probe into whether District Attorney Fani Willis coordinated with federal officials, including special counsel Jack Smith.
In a new letter, Jordan demands information and communications with the Department of Justice and federal officials on the funding Willis’ office receives.
“Ms. Willis’s indictment and prosecution implicate substantial federal interests, and the circumstances surrounding her actions raise serious concerns about whether such actions are politically motivated,” the release states.
Willis rejected any claims of the indictments being politically motivated in a recent radio interview.
“There’s really nothing sexy about this,” Willis told Atlanta Up Close’s Maria Boynton. “There’s allegations of a crime and then to look at the law and if the facts bear out that the law has been broken, then we have a duty and a responsibility to bring charges.”
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller and Peter Charalambous
Aug 24, 8:44 AM EDT
Trump expected to shake up legal team ahead of surrender
Former President Donald Trump is expected to shake up his legal team as soon as Thursday, just hours ahead of plans for Trump to surrender to authorities in Fulton County, Georgia, sources with direct knowledge tell ABC News.
Drew Findling is expected to depart the team and be replaced by attorney Steven Sadow, according to the sources.
Aug 24, 7:25 AM EDT
Trump expected to surrender in Georgia Thursday
Former President Donald Trump is expected to surrender to authorities in Georgia on Thursday.
A judge had set his bond at $200,000 on Tuesday.
Trump and 18 others were charged last week by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis in a sweeping racketeering indictment for alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in the state of Georgia.
The former president says his actions were not illegal and that the investigation is politically motivated.
Aug 23, 6:54 PM EDT
Willis says she had ‘a duty and a responsibility to bring charges’
Speaking on a local Atlanta radio show, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis defended her decision to bring the sprawling racketeering case, arguing that the case is an even-handed application of the law.
“There’s really nothing sexy about this,” Willis told Atlanta Up Close’s Maria Boynton. “There’s allegations of a crime, and then to look at the law and if the facts bear out that the law has been broken, then we have a duty and a responsibility to bring charges.”
The DA also said that recent threats made against her will not deter her from pursuing her case against the former president and his co-defendants.
“In the words of Jay-Z, brush my shoulders off and we just keep pushing,” Willis said. “That is not going to deter me from doing my job.”
Willis described the process of determining defendants’ bond amounts as “literally just plugging things in” to a formula based on factors related to a defendant’s flight risk. She also reiterated her past statement about the requirement for all defendants to surrender for processing by Friday at noon.
“Should people fail to turn themselves in, then a warrant will be filed on the system, and they’ll have to be arrested,” she said.
Of the 19 defendants, 15 have negotiated their bond packages and nine have subsequently been booked and released.
Aug 23, 6:12 PM EDT
Judge denies Meadows’ motion to move case to federal court
A federal judge has denied former Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows’ emergency motion seeking removal of his Fulton County case to federal court.
The judge also denied Meadows’ bid to prevent his arrest.
“While Meadows’ imminent arrest may present an actual injury, there are strong countervailing reasons to not enjoin the state criminal proceedings,” the judge said in the ruling.
Meadows last week filed a motion to move his case on the basis of a federal law that he argued requires the removal of criminal proceedings brought in state court to the federal court system when someone is charged for actions they allegedly took as a federal official acting “under color” of their office.
“The Court determines that, the clear statutory language for removing a criminal prosecution, does not support an injunction or temporary stay prohibiting District Attorney Willis’ enforcement or execution of the arrest warrant against Meadows,” the judge said in denying the motion.
Former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark and former Georgia GOP chair David Shafer have also filed motions seeking to move their cases into federal court.
Aug 23, 6:03 PM EDT
Chesebro files request for a speedy trial
Attorney Kenneth Chesebro, one of the 19 defendants charged in the DA’s indictment, has filed a request for a speedy trial — a development that a RICO expert says could have a “massive” impact on the case.
Chris Timmons, a former Georgia prosecutor who is an expert on Georgia racketeering laws — which are known as RICO for short — tells ABC News that when a defendant files a speedy trial demand, they have to be tried within a certain amount of time, or they are acquitted by law.
Though it’s not immediately clear what the exact effect will be in this case, Timmons said that many of the defendants won’t be ready for trial that quickly, meaning the case could end up having multiple trials.
“That completely changes the strategy of this trial,” Timmons said.
Referring to his time as a prosecutor, Timmons said, “We used to view [speedy trial requests] as a declaration of war. It means you are ready to go now.”
Cheseboro, a former Trump-aligned attorney, faces seven counts in the indictment, which alleges that he outlined “multiple strategies for disrupting and delaying the joint session of Congress on January 6, 2021.”
Aug 23, 5:40 PM EDT
Judge denies Clark’s motion for emergency stay
United States District Court Judge Steve Jones has denied Jeffrey Clark’s motion for an emergency stay in his case.
Clark, a former Justice Department official, had sought an emergency stay of the Fulton County proceedings, including his arrest warrant, until after Labor Day, so a judge could rule on his motion to remove his case to federal court.
Clark, in a separate motion, is seeking to remove his case to federal court on the basis that he was serving as a high-ranking DOJ official during the timeframe alleged in the DA’s indictment. Former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows and former Georgia GOP chair David Shafer have also filed similar motions.
Clark is accused in the indictment of urging senior DOJ officials to falsely tell Georgia state officials that the DOJ had “identified significant concerns” about the tabulation of election returns in the state.
Aug 23, 5:19 PM EDT
Mug shots released of Giuliani, Powell, Ellis
The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office has released mug shots of three of the attorneys who prosecutors say helped lead the efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia.
Authorities released mug shots taken of former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Trump campaign lawyers Sydney Powell and Jenna Ellis.
Giuliani was processed at the Fulton County Jail and released on bail. Powell and Ellis were still being processed.
Aug 23, 4:38 PM EDT
Mug shots released of first 6 defendants processed
Authorities have released mug shots of the first six defendants to surrender in the election interference case.
The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office released mug shots taken of attorneys John Eastman and Kenneth Chesebro, former Georgia GOP chair David Shafer, former Coffee County GOP chair Cathy Latham, Georgia lawyer Ray Smith III and Georgia bail bondsman Scott Hall.
All six have been processed at the Fulton County Jail and released on bail.
Aug 23, 4:12 PM EDT
Willis opposes Meadows’ motion to move case to federal court
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has responded to Mark Meadows’ emergency motion to prevent his arrest and remove his case to federal court, arguing that the former Trump chief of staff’s arguments are “baseless and in direct contravention with the requirements of the law.”
“In essence, the defendant’s emergency motion is a plea to this Court to prevent the defendant from being arrested on the charges lawfully brought by the State of Georgia,” the response said, highlighting that Meadows had previously requested additional time to surrender on two occasions.
Willis argued that Meadows’ removal motion only entitles him to an evidentiary hearing, which is already set for August 28; otherwise, criminal proceedings in the case, including his surrender, can continue as planned, the response said.
Meadows last week filed a motion to move his case on the basis of a federal law that he argued requires the removal of criminal proceedings brought in state court to the federal court system when someone is charged for actions they allegedly took as a federal official acting “under color” of their office.
Among other allegations, the DA’s indictment says Meadows traveled to Cobb County Center and “attempted to observe the signature match audit being performed by law enforcement officers and officials from the Georgia Secretary of State despite the fact that the process was not open to the public” and that he sent a text message to a state investigator on Dec. 27, 2020, asking if there was a way to “speed up” results ahead of Jan. 6, “in furtherance of the conspiracy.”
Aug 23, 3:35 PM EDT
DA opposes Jeffrey Clark’s motion for emergency stay
District Attorney Fani Willis is contesting former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark’s request for an emergency stay of the Fulton County proceedings.
Clark had filed a motion in federal court Tuesday seeking an emergency stay of the proceedings, including his arrest warrant, until after Labor Day, so a judge could rule on his motion to remove his case to federal court.
In a filing today, Willis wrote that Clark “seeks to avoid the inconvenience and unpleasantness of being arrested … but provides this court with no legal basis to justify those ends.”
Clark has filed a separate motion seeking to remove his case to federal court on the basis that he was serving as a high-ranking DOJ official during the timeframe alleged in the DA’s indictment. Former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows and former Georgia GOP chair David Shafer have also filed similar motions.
Clark is accused in the indictment of making false statements to senior DOJ officials “urging the officials to let him convey the false information to Georgia State Officials” that the DOJ had “identified significant concerns that may have impacted the outcome of the election in multiple states, including the State of Georgia.”
Aug 23, 3:13 PM EDT
Giuliani surrenders for processing
Former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani has surrendered at the Fulton County Jail for processing, according to online records.
Bail for the former New York City mayor was set at $150,000 earlier Wednesday.
He faces 13 counts related to efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.
Aug 23, 3:01 PM EDT
Trump attorney Sidney Powell surrenders to authorities
Trump attorney Sidney Powell has surrendered to authorities at the Fulton County Jail for processing, according to the jail’s official website.
Powell faces 16 counts in the DA’s indictment, including two counts of conspiracy to commit election fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit computer theft.
She is accused of conspiring with other co-defendants to commit election fraud by allegedly encouraging and helping people tamper with ballot markers and machines inside an elections office in Coffee County.
Powell’s bail was set at $100,000 Wednesday morning.
Aug 23, 2:54 PM EDT
Judge sets bond for Giuliani at $150,000
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee has set bond for former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani at $150,000.
As with all defendants in the case, Giuliani’s bail conditions include not communicating with witnesses and co-defendants, reporting to pre-trial services by phone every month, and not obstructing justice by intimidating witnesses.
Giuliani’s bond agreement also includes a line to ensure he surrenders at Fulton County Jail by the Friday deadline DA Fani Willis set for all 19 defendants.
“The Defendant shall turn himself into the Fulton County Jail by 12:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Friday, August 25, 2023. If the Defendant does not turn himself into the Fulton County Jail by this date and time, this consent bond order shall be null and void,” the consent order said.
Giuliani is expected to surrender at the jail later today, sources have told ABC News.
According to prosecutors, Giuliani aided Trump in perpetrating a sweeping effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia, including by making false statements to state election officials.
Aug 23, 1:56 PM EDT
Giuliani’s attorneys to negotiate his bail, say sources
Two of Rudy Giuliani’s attorneys are at the Fulton County Courthouse, where sources say they’re expected to meet with the district attorney’s staff to negotiate the bond agreement for the former New York City mayor.
Both attorneys declined to comment to ABC News.
After his bond is set, Giuliani is expected to surrender later today for processing at the Fulton County Jail.
Giuliani, Trump’s one-time personal attorney, faces 13 counts in the DA’s indictment, including three counts of solicitation of violation of oath by public officer and three counts of false statements and writing.
Aug 23, 12:10 PM EDT
Former elections director Misty Hampton gets $10K bond
Judge Scott McAfee signed off on a $10,000 bond for Misty Hampton, the former elections director in Coffee County, who was one of the 19 defendants charged in the Fulton County RICO indictment.
Hampton was present in the county elections office on Jan. 7, 2021, when forensic experts from an Atlanta company were allowed to copy software and data from the county’s election equipment, according to prosecutors.
Hampton’s bail conditions include not communicating with witnesses and co-defendants, reporting to pretrial services by phone every month and not obstructing justice by intimidating witnesses.
Aug 23, 10:37 AM EDT
Trump attorney Sidney Powell gets $100,000 bond
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee set bond for Trump attorney Sidney Powell at $100,000.
Powell’s bail conditions include not communicating with witnesses and co-defendants, reporting to pretrial services by phone every month and not obstructing justice by intimidating witnesses.
Powell’s consent order marks the 13th bond package for a defendant so far.
According to prosecutors, Powell allegedly coordinated with an Atlanta company to obtain breached election data from Coffee County. She worked on Trump’s campaign after the 2020 election.
Aug 23, 9:05 AM EDT
Giuliani: ‘Your rights are in jeopardy’
Rudy Giuliani, who is facing 13 charges in connection with the effort to overturn election results in Georgia, spoke outside his apartment in New York City early Wednesday before heading to Fulton County to surrender.
“I’m going to Georgia and I’m feeling very, very good about it because I feel like I’m defending the rights of all Americans, as I did so many times as a United States attorney,” Giuliani said.
“The system of justice is politicized and criminalized for politics,” he added. “Your rights are in jeopardy and your children’s. Donald Trump told you this. They weren’t just coming for him. Well, me. Now they’ve indicted people.”
One-time Trump personal attorney Rudy Giuliani aided Trump in perpetrating a sweeping effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in the state, according to prosecutors in Fulton County, including by making false statements to state election officials and contributing to the harassment of two election workers, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss.
Aug 23, 9:05 AM EDT
Latham, Shafer also turn themselves in
Two more of former President Trump’s co-defendants have surrendered to Fulton County authorities early Wednesday, according to online jail records: Cathy Latham and David Shafer.
Latham, the former GOP chair in Coffee County, is one of 16 Georgia Republicans who signed a certificate falsely stating that Trump had won the state.
Shafer, former Georgia Republican Party chair, is another of the fake Trump electors. He is also among the early defendants to seek to move the case into federal court.
(ATLANTA) — The 19 defendants charged by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis for their alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia are in the process of negotiating their bond terms and surrendering to be processed and released from the Fulton County Jail prior to the Friday deadline set by the district attorney.
Former President Donald Trump, whose bail was set by a judge at $200,000, is expected to surrender to authorities on Thursday.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Aug 24, 8:00 PM EDT
Trump heading back toward airport
Trump’s motorcade is now en route to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport following his booking and release from the Fulton County Jail.
Aug 24, 7:49 PM EDT
Trump booked, released from Fulton County Jail
Trump has been booked and released from the Fulton County Jail, according to Fulton County Sheriff’s Office records.
His bond was set at $200,000.
Aug 24, 7:34 PM EDT
Trump arrives at Fulton County Jail
Trump has arrived at the Fulton County Jail for his surrender.
Aug 24, 7:24 PM EDT
Jail prepares for Trump’s arrival
Trump’s motorcade is rolling toward the Fulton County Jail.
Ahead of his arrival, sheriff deputies are standing guard outside the jail.
Aug 24, 7:19 PM EDT
Trump working with local Atlanta bonding company
The CEO of an Atlanta bail bond company tells ABC News that they’re working with Trump on his $200,000 bail bond.
Foster Bail Bonds LLC says Trump has put down 10% of the total bond, as required.
-ABC News’ Soo Rin Kim and Lalee Ibssa
Aug 24, 7:03 PM EDT
Trump lands in Atlanta
Trump’s plane has landed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. He is expected to be booked then released at the Fulton County Jail this evening.
Aug 24, 6:28 PM EDT
John Eastman will seek speedy trial separate from others, lawyer says
Appearing on CNN, John Eastman’s attorney Harvey Silverglate said his client intends to sever his case from his co-defendants and pursue a speedy trial.
“We are going to move to sever his case from the others and move for a severed trial which means we want to be tried alone,” Silverglate said. “We’d like to have a speedy trial — that is, we would like to be tried right away. It’ll take three weeks and the whole nightmare will be over for him.”
As of Thursday evening, Eastman has not filed a speedy trial motion or a motion to sever his case, according to his docket.
Eastman is charged with nine counts, including solicitation as well as conspiracies to commit forgery, make false statements and impersonate a public officer. The former Trump lawyer is alleged to have been involved in a scheme to solicit public officers to unlawfully appoint Georgia presidential electors.
Defendant Kenneth Chesebro has also filed for a speedy trial, while Mark Meadows, Kenneth Clark and David Shafer have separately filed to have their cases moved into federal court.
Aug 24, 5:26 PM EDT
Trump plane takes off for Atlanta
Trump’s plane has taken off from New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport en route to Atlanta for his anticipated booking at the Fulton County Jail this evening.
Aug 24, 4:54 PM EDT
Hearing scheduled on Jeffrey Clark’s bid to move charges to federal court
Judge Steve Jones has set a hearing date of Sept. 18 for former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark’s bid to move his Fulton County criminal charges to federal court.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis may submit a written response to Clark’s notice of removal no later than Sept. 5, according to Jones’ order.
Co-defendants Mark Meadows and David Shafer are also seeking to move their cases into federal court.
Aug 24, 4:29 PM EDT
Trump motorcade pulls into Newark Airport
The motorcade carrying Trump has arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport, where the former president is expected to board a flight to Atlanta for his anticipated booking at the Fulton County Jail this evening.
Aug 24, 4:20 PM EDT
Kenneth Chesebro’s trial date set for Oct. 23
Judge Scott McAfee has set Kenneth Chesebro’s trial to begin on Oct. 23, according to a scheduling order.
The attorney’s arraignment will occur on Sept. 6, unless waived, according to the order.
The deadlines only apply to Chesebro and no other defendant, per the order, which follows Chesebro’s request for a speedy trial filed on Wednesday.
District Attorney Fani Willis had requested an October trial date for all 19 defendants following Chesebro’s request, but Trump is opposing that motion.
Aug 24, 4:01 PM EDT
Trump motorcade leaves Bedminster, New Jersey
Trump’s motorcade has left Bedminster, New Jersey, en route to Newark Liberty International Airport ahead of his anticipated booking at the Fulton County Jail this evening.
Aug 24, 3:45 PM EDT
Mug shots released of Meadows, Harrison Floyd
The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office has released mug shots of Mark Meadows and Harrison Floyd, the most recent of the case’s 19 defendants to be booked.
All 19 defendants have negotiated their bond packages, except for Floyd, who remains in custody at the Fulton County Jail. Ten of the 19 defendants have been processed and released.
Aug 24, 3:17 PM EDT
Mark Meadows released
Mark Meadows has been released after surrendering at the Fulton County Jail, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office said.
The former Trump chief of staff posted bond of $100,000.
The remaining eight defendants who have not yet turned themselves in are expected to surrender by Friday’s noon deadline, the office said.
Aug 24, 3:14 PM EDT
Harrison Floyd booked without securing bond
Harrison Floyd has been booked into Fulton County Jail, according to the Fulton County inmate database. No bond has been set for Floyd, according to his docket.
Floyd did not previously negotiate his bond agreement and remains in custody at the jail, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office said.
All of the other defendants who have been booked so far secured their bond package before entering the Fulton County Jail for processing.
The former director of Black Voices for Trump, Floyd allegedly worked to solicit Fulton County election worker Ruby Freeman.
Aug 24, 2:48 PM EDT
Trump opposes DA motion for October trial date
In Trump’s first filing in the case, his attorney is now pushing back on the DA’s motion — which requested an Oct. 23 trial start date for all 19 defendants — saying they oppose it.
“President Trump respectfully puts the Court on notice that he opposes the State’s ‘motion for entry of pretrial scheduling order’ and ‘motion to specially set trial,'” the filing states.
Trump attorney Steven Sadow also notified the court that they would be filing “a timely motion” to sever the case from Cheseboro — who requested the speedy trial– as well as any other defendant who “files such a demand.”
“President Trump further respectfully puts the Court on notice that he requests the Court set a scheduling conference at its earliest convenience so he can be heard on the State’s motions for entry of pretrial scheduling order and to specially set trial,” the filing states.
Aug 24, 2:28 PM EDT
Mark Meadows booked into Fulton County Jail
Mark Meadows has been booked at the Fulton County Jail, according to the Fulton County inmate database.
The former chief of staff unsuccessfully tried to prevent his surrender by filing an emergency motion to stay earlier this week, which was rejected on Wednesday.
His bond has been set at $100,000.
Aug 24, 1:35 PM EDT
Bond for former DOJ official Jeffrey Clark set at $100,000
Bond for former Department of Justice official Jeffrey Clark has been set at $100,000.
Clark’s bail conditions include not communicating with witnesses and co-defendants, reporting to pretrial services by phone every month, surrendering by noon on Friday and not obstructing justice by intimidating witnesses.
Clark unsuccessfully tried to prevent his surrender by filing an emergency motion to stay earlier this week, which was rejected Wednesday in district court.
The indictment alleged that Clark, while serving as a high-ranking DOJ official, made false statements in writing and in person to the acting attorney general and deputy attorney general, requesting authorization to tell Georgia officials that the DOJ “identified significant concerns that may have impacted the outcome of the election in multiple States, including the State of Georgia.”
Aug 24, 1:09 PM EDT
DA Fani Willis requests trial date beginning Oct. 23
District Attorney Fani Willis requested a trial start date of Oct. 23, 2023, for all 19 defendants, according to a filing in response to Kenneth Chesebro’s demand for a speedy trial.
“The State of Georgia, through Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis, and respectfully requests that this Court specially set the trial in this case to commence for all 19 defendants on October 23, 2023,” the motion said.
Aug 24, 1:06 PM EDT
Former Ye publicist and Trump supporter Trevian Kutti gets $75K bond
Trevian Kutti, a publicist who previously represented controversial musicians R. Kelly and Ye, has been given a $75,000 bond, according to her bond agreement signed by Judge Scott McAfee.
Kutti’s bail conditions include not communicating with witnesses and co-defendants, reporting to pretrial services by phone every month and not obstructing justice by intimidating witnesses.
Prosecutors allege that Kutti traveled from Chicago to Atlanta and attempted to contact Ruby Freeman, a Fulton County election worker, in order to convince her to report election fraud claims in testimony.
Aug 24, 12:53 PM EDT
Mark Meadows’ bond set at $100K
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee set bond for former chief of staff Mark Meadows at $100,000.
His bail conditions include not communicating with witnesses and co-defendants, reporting to pretrial services by phone every month and not obstructing justice by intimidating witnesses.
The bond also included a line to ensure he surrenders at Fulton County Jail by Friday at noon.
“The Defendant shall turn himself into the Fulton County Jail by 12:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Friday, August 25, 2023. If the Defendant does not turn himself into the Fulton County Jail by this date and time, this consent bond order shall be null and void,” the consent order said.
Meadows had sought to delay surrendering as he tried to get his case moved to federal court, but that was rejected Wednesday.
Aug 24, 12:03 PM EDT
Fulton County DA subpoenas Raffensperger for Mark Meadows hearing next week
Ahead of the hearing scheduled next week over Mark Meadows’ effort to move the Fulton County RICO case to federal court, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has now issued multiple subpoenas for witnesses to appear, according to court filings in the case.
A federal judge last week ordered an “evidentiary hearing” on Meadows’ motion to remove the case to federal court. Now, four witnesses are subpoenaed to appear.
Willis filed subpoenas on Thursday that had been issued for Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and investigator Francis Watson — both of whom Trump called in the wake of the 2020 election as part of his alleged effort to overturn the results.
Earlier this week, Willis also filed subpoenas for Kurt Hilbert and Alex Kaufman — both of whom were on the Trump-Raffensperger call, according to a transcript of the call.
The subpoenas instruct the witnesses to appear in court for the Meadows hearing on Monday, according to copies of the subpoenas included in the court filings.
That hearing is set for Aug. 28 at 10 a.m. in Atlanta.
Aug 24, 11:06 AM EDT
GOP-led committee opens investigation into DA Fani Willis
The same day Donald Trump is expected to surrender at Fulton County Jail, House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, launched a probe into whether District Attorney Fani Willis coordinated with federal officials, including special counsel Jack Smith.
In a new letter, Jordan demands information and communications with the Department of Justice and federal officials on the funding Willis’ office receives.
“Ms. Willis’s indictment and prosecution implicate substantial federal interests, and the circumstances surrounding her actions raise serious concerns about whether such actions are politically motivated,” the release states.
Willis rejected any claims of the indictments being politically motivated in a recent radio interview.
“There’s really nothing sexy about this,” Willis told Atlanta Up Close’s Maria Boynton. “There’s allegations of a crime and then to look at the law and if the facts bear out that the law has been broken, then we have a duty and a responsibility to bring charges.”
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller and Peter Charalambous
Aug 24, 8:44 AM EDT
Trump expected to shake up legal team ahead of surrender
Former President Donald Trump is expected to shake up his legal team as soon as Thursday, just hours ahead of plans for Trump to surrender to authorities in Fulton County, Georgia, sources with direct knowledge tell ABC News.
Drew Findling is expected to depart the team and be replaced by attorney Steven Sadow, according to the sources.
Aug 24, 7:25 AM EDT
Trump expected to surrender in Georgia Thursday
Former President Donald Trump is expected to surrender to authorities in Georgia on Thursday.
A judge had set his bond at $200,000 on Tuesday.
Trump and 18 others were charged last week by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis in a sweeping racketeering indictment for alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in the state of Georgia.
The former president says his actions were not illegal and that the investigation is politically motivated.
Aug 23, 6:54 PM EDT
Willis says she had ‘a duty and a responsibility to bring charges’
Speaking on a local Atlanta radio show, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis defended her decision to bring the sprawling racketeering case, arguing that the case is an even-handed application of the law.
“There’s really nothing sexy about this,” Willis told Atlanta Up Close’s Maria Boynton. “There’s allegations of a crime, and then to look at the law and if the facts bear out that the law has been broken, then we have a duty and a responsibility to bring charges.”
The DA also said that recent threats made against her will not deter her from pursuing her case against the former president and his co-defendants.
“In the words of Jay-Z, brush my shoulders off and we just keep pushing,” Willis said. “That is not going to deter me from doing my job.”
Willis described the process of determining defendants’ bond amounts as “literally just plugging things in” to a formula based on factors related to a defendant’s flight risk. She also reiterated her past statement about the requirement for all defendants to surrender for processing by Friday at noon.
“Should people fail to turn themselves in, then a warrant will be filed on the system, and they’ll have to be arrested,” she said.
Of the 19 defendants, 15 have negotiated their bond packages and nine have subsequently been booked and released.
Aug 23, 6:12 PM EDT
Judge denies Meadows’ motion to move case to federal court
A federal judge has denied former Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows’ emergency motion seeking removal of his Fulton County case to federal court.
The judge also denied Meadows’ bid to prevent his arrest.
“While Meadows’ imminent arrest may present an actual injury, there are strong countervailing reasons to not enjoin the state criminal proceedings,” the judge said in the ruling.
Meadows last week filed a motion to move his case on the basis of a federal law that he argued requires the removal of criminal proceedings brought in state court to the federal court system when someone is charged for actions they allegedly took as a federal official acting “under color” of their office.
“The Court determines that, the clear statutory language for removing a criminal prosecution, does not support an injunction or temporary stay prohibiting District Attorney Willis’ enforcement or execution of the arrest warrant against Meadows,” the judge said in denying the motion.
Former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark and former Georgia GOP chair David Shafer have also filed motions seeking to move their cases into federal court.
Aug 23, 6:03 PM EDT
Chesebro files request for a speedy trial
Attorney Kenneth Chesebro, one of the 19 defendants charged in the DA’s indictment, has filed a request for a speedy trial — a development that a RICO expert says could have a “massive” impact on the case.
Chris Timmons, a former Georgia prosecutor who is an expert on Georgia racketeering laws — which are known as RICO for short — tells ABC News that when a defendant files a speedy trial demand, they have to be tried within a certain amount of time, or they are acquitted by law.
Though it’s not immediately clear what the exact effect will be in this case, Timmons said that many of the defendants won’t be ready for trial that quickly, meaning the case could end up having multiple trials.
“That completely changes the strategy of this trial,” Timmons said.
Referring to his time as a prosecutor, Timmons said, “We used to view [speedy trial requests] as a declaration of war. It means you are ready to go now.”
Cheseboro, a former Trump-aligned attorney, faces seven counts in the indictment, which alleges that he outlined “multiple strategies for disrupting and delaying the joint session of Congress on January 6, 2021.”
Aug 23, 5:40 PM EDT
Judge denies Clark’s motion for emergency stay
United States District Court Judge Steve Jones has denied Jeffrey Clark’s motion for an emergency stay in his case.
Clark, a former Justice Department official, had sought an emergency stay of the Fulton County proceedings, including his arrest warrant, until after Labor Day, so a judge could rule on his motion to remove his case to federal court.
Clark, in a separate motion, is seeking to remove his case to federal court on the basis that he was serving as a high-ranking DOJ official during the timeframe alleged in the DA’s indictment. Former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows and former Georgia GOP chair David Shafer have also filed similar motions.
Clark is accused in the indictment of urging senior DOJ officials to falsely tell Georgia state officials that the DOJ had “identified significant concerns” about the tabulation of election returns in the state.
Aug 23, 5:19 PM EDT
Mug shots released of Giuliani, Powell, Ellis
The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office has released mug shots of three of the attorneys who prosecutors say helped lead the efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia.
Authorities released mug shots taken of former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Trump campaign lawyers Sydney Powell and Jenna Ellis.
Giuliani was processed at the Fulton County Jail and released on bail. Powell and Ellis were still being processed.
Aug 23, 4:38 PM EDT
Mug shots released of first 6 defendants processed
Authorities have released mug shots of the first six defendants to surrender in the election interference case.
The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office released mug shots taken of attorneys John Eastman and Kenneth Chesebro, former Georgia GOP chair David Shafer, former Coffee County GOP chair Cathy Latham, Georgia lawyer Ray Smith III and Georgia bail bondsman Scott Hall.
All six have been processed at the Fulton County Jail and released on bail.
Aug 23, 4:12 PM EDT
Willis opposes Meadows’ motion to move case to federal court
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has responded to Mark Meadows’ emergency motion to prevent his arrest and remove his case to federal court, arguing that the former Trump chief of staff’s arguments are “baseless and in direct contravention with the requirements of the law.”
“In essence, the defendant’s emergency motion is a plea to this Court to prevent the defendant from being arrested on the charges lawfully brought by the State of Georgia,” the response said, highlighting that Meadows had previously requested additional time to surrender on two occasions.
Willis argued that Meadows’ removal motion only entitles him to an evidentiary hearing, which is already set for August 28; otherwise, criminal proceedings in the case, including his surrender, can continue as planned, the response said.
Meadows last week filed a motion to move his case on the basis of a federal law that he argued requires the removal of criminal proceedings brought in state court to the federal court system when someone is charged for actions they allegedly took as a federal official acting “under color” of their office.
Among other allegations, the DA’s indictment says Meadows traveled to Cobb County Center and “attempted to observe the signature match audit being performed by law enforcement officers and officials from the Georgia Secretary of State despite the fact that the process was not open to the public” and that he sent a text message to a state investigator on Dec. 27, 2020, asking if there was a way to “speed up” results ahead of Jan. 6, “in furtherance of the conspiracy.”
Aug 23, 3:35 PM EDT
DA opposes Jeffrey Clark’s motion for emergency stay
District Attorney Fani Willis is contesting former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark’s request for an emergency stay of the Fulton County proceedings.
Clark had filed a motion in federal court Tuesday seeking an emergency stay of the proceedings, including his arrest warrant, until after Labor Day, so a judge could rule on his motion to remove his case to federal court.
In a filing today, Willis wrote that Clark “seeks to avoid the inconvenience and unpleasantness of being arrested … but provides this court with no legal basis to justify those ends.”
Clark has filed a separate motion seeking to remove his case to federal court on the basis that he was serving as a high-ranking DOJ official during the timeframe alleged in the DA’s indictment. Former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows and former Georgia GOP chair David Shafer have also filed similar motions.
Clark is accused in the indictment of making false statements to senior DOJ officials “urging the officials to let him convey the false information to Georgia State Officials” that the DOJ had “identified significant concerns that may have impacted the outcome of the election in multiple states, including the State of Georgia.”
Aug 23, 3:13 PM EDT
Giuliani surrenders for processing
Former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani has surrendered at the Fulton County Jail for processing, according to online records.
Bail for the former New York City mayor was set at $150,000 earlier Wednesday.
He faces 13 counts related to efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.
Aug 23, 3:01 PM EDT
Trump attorney Sidney Powell surrenders to authorities
Trump attorney Sidney Powell has surrendered to authorities at the Fulton County Jail for processing, according to the jail’s official website.
Powell faces 16 counts in the DA’s indictment, including two counts of conspiracy to commit election fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit computer theft.
She is accused of conspiring with other co-defendants to commit election fraud by allegedly encouraging and helping people tamper with ballot markers and machines inside an elections office in Coffee County.
Powell’s bail was set at $100,000 Wednesday morning.
Aug 23, 2:54 PM EDT
Judge sets bond for Giuliani at $150,000
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee has set bond for former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani at $150,000.
As with all defendants in the case, Giuliani’s bail conditions include not communicating with witnesses and co-defendants, reporting to pre-trial services by phone every month, and not obstructing justice by intimidating witnesses.
Giuliani’s bond agreement also includes a line to ensure he surrenders at Fulton County Jail by the Friday deadline DA Fani Willis set for all 19 defendants.
“The Defendant shall turn himself into the Fulton County Jail by 12:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Friday, August 25, 2023. If the Defendant does not turn himself into the Fulton County Jail by this date and time, this consent bond order shall be null and void,” the consent order said.
Giuliani is expected to surrender at the jail later today, sources have told ABC News.
According to prosecutors, Giuliani aided Trump in perpetrating a sweeping effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia, including by making false statements to state election officials.
Aug 23, 1:56 PM EDT
Giuliani’s attorneys to negotiate his bail, say sources
Two of Rudy Giuliani’s attorneys are at the Fulton County Courthouse, where sources say they’re expected to meet with the district attorney’s staff to negotiate the bond agreement for the former New York City mayor.
Both attorneys declined to comment to ABC News.
After his bond is set, Giuliani is expected to surrender later today for processing at the Fulton County Jail.
Giuliani, Trump’s one-time personal attorney, faces 13 counts in the DA’s indictment, including three counts of solicitation of violation of oath by public officer and three counts of false statements and writing.
Aug 23, 12:10 PM EDT
Former elections director Misty Hampton gets $10K bond
Judge Scott McAfee signed off on a $10,000 bond for Misty Hampton, the former elections director in Coffee County, who was one of the 19 defendants charged in the Fulton County RICO indictment.
Hampton was present in the county elections office on Jan. 7, 2021, when forensic experts from an Atlanta company were allowed to copy software and data from the county’s election equipment, according to prosecutors.
Hampton’s bail conditions include not communicating with witnesses and co-defendants, reporting to pretrial services by phone every month and not obstructing justice by intimidating witnesses.
Aug 23, 10:37 AM EDT
Trump attorney Sidney Powell gets $100,000 bond
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee set bond for Trump attorney Sidney Powell at $100,000.
Powell’s bail conditions include not communicating with witnesses and co-defendants, reporting to pretrial services by phone every month and not obstructing justice by intimidating witnesses.
Powell’s consent order marks the 13th bond package for a defendant so far.
According to prosecutors, Powell allegedly coordinated with an Atlanta company to obtain breached election data from Coffee County. She worked on Trump’s campaign after the 2020 election.
Aug 23, 9:05 AM EDT
Giuliani: ‘Your rights are in jeopardy’
Rudy Giuliani, who is facing 13 charges in connection with the effort to overturn election results in Georgia, spoke outside his apartment in New York City early Wednesday before heading to Fulton County to surrender.
“I’m going to Georgia and I’m feeling very, very good about it because I feel like I’m defending the rights of all Americans, as I did so many times as a United States attorney,” Giuliani said.
“The system of justice is politicized and criminalized for politics,” he added. “Your rights are in jeopardy and your children’s. Donald Trump told you this. They weren’t just coming for him. Well, me. Now they’ve indicted people.”
One-time Trump personal attorney Rudy Giuliani aided Trump in perpetrating a sweeping effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in the state, according to prosecutors in Fulton County, including by making false statements to state election officials and contributing to the harassment of two election workers, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss.
Aug 23, 9:05 AM EDT
Latham, Shafer also turn themselves in
Two more of former President Trump’s co-defendants have surrendered to Fulton County authorities early Wednesday, according to online jail records: Cathy Latham and David Shafer.
Latham, the former GOP chair in Coffee County, is one of 16 Georgia Republicans who signed a certificate falsely stating that Trump had won the state.
Shafer, former Georgia Republican Party chair, is another of the fake Trump electors. He is also among the early defendants to seek to move the case into federal court.
(WASHINGTON) — The United States will be training Ukrainian pilots how to operate F-16 fighter aircraft after all, but only in support of the Netherlands and Denmark that will take the lead in the training of Ukrainian pilots.
The Pentagon on Thursday announced that beginning in October the U.S. will provide F-16 training to a small number of Ukrainian pilots and maintenance teams in addition to the much larger number that will be trained in Europe.
Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters that “several” Ukrainian pilots and “dozens” of Ukrainian aircraft maintenance personnel will begin training at Morris Air National Guard Base in Tucson, Arizona, after they receive English training in September at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.
“Although some Ukrainian pilots have English language skills we are anticipating that all the pilots coming to the United States will require some level of additional English language instruction, given the complexities and the specialized English that’s required to fly these aircraft,” said Ryder.
The number of pilots and personnel that will be participating in the program will be determined by Ukraine.
Both the Netherlands and Denmark have taken the lead in not only providing training to Ukrainian pilots on how to fly the American-made F-16 fighter but will also provide an undetermined number of the aircraft to Ukraine which has long desired the jet as a solution to achieve air superiority over Ukraine.
The Biden administration had resisted Ukraine’s calls for the F-16, citing Pentagon assessments that providing the advanced fighters to Ukraine was not an immediate weapons necessity for Ukraine in its fight against Russia and that missile air-defense systems were more of a priority.
Pentagon officials had said that providing Ukraine with F-16s was under consideration as a long-term defense option and cited the high costs of providing new aircraft and the significant time investment in training F-16 pilots that could take as long as 18 months.
But in a turnaround in late May, the Pentagon said it would support European countries that wanted to provide F-16 aircraft and train Ukrainian pilots to fly the fighters. That significant change was prompted by increasing momentum among European allies pressing for the move and the realization that as the war in Ukraine continued it was now time to look at modernizing Ukraine’s air force for the long term.
Since May, U.S. officials have stressed that the Netherlands and Denmark would be in the lead and would develop a training program whose details have only come to fruition over the last week. Those officials also said that any U.S. role would be limited and they have emphasized that the aircraft would not help Ukraine with its current counteroffensive.
Senior U.S. military officials have also been on the record that the F-16 will not be an immediate game changer on the battlefield.
Just last week, Gen. David Hecker, the top U.S. Air Force commander in Europe and Africa, told reporters that in the short term F-16s would “help a little bit” but it would not be a “silver bullet.”
Hecker said that F-16s are preferable to Russian-made Mig-29s being flown by Ukraine because they’re inter-operable with all the new ordnance the U.S. is giving Ukraine, but “it’s not going to be the silver bullet that all of a sudden they’re going to start taking down SA-21 (air defense systems) because they have an F-16.”
And he cautioned it will take some time for Ukrainian pilots to get proficient with the F-16 so “that’s not going to happen overnight” and could possibly take four to five years. He explained “you can get proficient on some weapons systems fairly quickly but ones like F-16’s, that takes a while to build.”
Earlier this week, Sabrina Singh, the deputy Pentagon press secretary, had told reporters that the U.S. was open to the idea of training Ukrainian pilots on F-16s if European countries reached capacity.
However, she could not provide a definition of how many pilots might constitute capacity for the Netherlands and Denmark.
Ryder also wouldn’t provide a number, but said the U.S. wasn’t going to wait for the Netherlands and Denmark to reach capacity to begin providing additional training.
“We know that as the Danes and the Dutch prepare to train those pilots that at a certain point in time in the future, capacity will be reached. So, preemptively acknowledging that and leaning forward in order to to assist with this effort is the impetus for why we’re doing this now,” said Ryder.
The duration of the training for the “several” pilots is going to depend on their skill level — skilled pilots who’ll need upgrade training could last five months, it might be eight months for a brand new F-16 pilot.
Ryder wouldn’t get into when F-16 deliveries to Ukraine might begin though the conventional wisdom is sometime next year even though Denmark’s Prime Minister said over the weekend that the first Danish F-16s could arrive by New Year’s.
(WASHINGTON) — Anti-abortion advocates blasted individual candidates including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley for refusing to commit to a national ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy — a pledge taken by some of their competitors on stage.
Vice President Mike Pence, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson called for a federal abortion ban after 15 weeks, a standard that leading anti-abortion groups like Susan B, Anthony Pro-Life America have been pushing for.
“Mike Pence, Tim Scott and Asa Hutchinson each offered a clear, bold case for national protections for the unborn at least by 15 weeks, when they can feel pain, which aligns with the overwhelming consensus of Americans. Additionally, those who offered the clearest contrast pointed out the Democrats’ agenda of imposing abortion on demand until birth in every state, nationwide. Going on offense is essential for any candidate who wants to win in 2024,” SBA President Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement on Thursday.
DeSantis, who has expressed skepticism about the viability of a federal abortion ban, boasted on stage Wednesday about the six-week abortion ban he signed as governor of Florida.
“I believe in a culture of life. I was proud to sign the heartbeat bill. I remember one of the most impactful moments of my life was when I heard the heartbeat of my oldest daughter in my wife’s womb,” he said.
When pressed by moderator Bret Baier about whether he would sign a federal six-week ban similar to Florida’s, DeSantis did not answer.
“I’m going to stand on the side of life,” DeSantis said. “I understand Wisconsin will do it different than Texas. I understand Iowa and New Hampshire are going to be different. But I will support the cause of life as governor and as president.”
SBA said his response “stopped short.”
“DeSantis accurately articulated last night that pro-lifers must combat the extremism of Democrats’ up-to-birth abortion stance and he accurately pointed out that each state across the country has the ability to set different limits on abortion,” the group wrote in a statement to ABC News. “But he stopped short of recognizing that the Dobbs decision sent this issue back to the people through their state and federally elected representatives,” the organization added.
SBA also criticized North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who signed a near-total abortion ban into law in North Dakota, for refusing to commit to implementing similar policies at the federal level if elected.
“[The] presidential debate made it clear who is and is not prepared to be a National Defender of Life. The position taken by candidates like Doug Burgum, that life is solely a matter for the states, is unacceptable for a nation founded on unalienable rights and for a presidential contender,” Dannenfelser said.
Haley also attracted criticism from anti-abortion advocates when she rejected the notion of a federal ban, noting that it wasn’t likely to garner the necessary Senate votes to pass and instead calling for narrower restrictions through “consensus.”
Pence, notably one of the the most anti-abortion candidates among the 2024 field, fired back at Haley that “consensus is the opposite of leadership.”
“A 15-week ban is an idea whose time has come,” Pence said, calling himself “a champion for life.”
SBA echoed Pence in bolstering the idea of consensus around a 15-week ban, telling ABC News that “the pro-life movement must have a nominee who will boldly advocate for consensus in Congress and as president will work to gather the votes necessary in Congress. Dismissing this task as unrealistic is not acceptable.”
Abortion advocates like Planned Parenthood Action Fund were quick to refute the idea that any of the GOP candidates would back down from the idea of a national abortion ban, as some suggested they would on stage.
“Voters know every GOP candidate would sign a national abortion ban if given the opportunity. Some boasted about their record of rolling back our rights and others hid their true agenda behind bogus buzzwords. Either way, we know their records and the truth,” the group said in a post on X after the debate.
NARAL Pro-Choice America said the debate was “one big mess of disinformation, bigotry, and immaturity.”
“We’ll remember the lies that every single one of the candidates told about abortion, and we’ll be ready to vote in favor of reproductive freedom in 2024,” the group added on X.
Abortion is an issue that Republicans have struggled with electorally and in their messaging since the Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade and took away the constitutional right to abortion last year.
But Ronna McDaniel, chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, said she was pleased to see the subject debated from the stage.
“I was very pleased to see them talk about abortion. … I thought all of them did a really good job on that,” McDaniel told Fox News on Thursday morning. “Democrats used that in 2022. … If our candidates aren’t able to fend a response and put out a response, we’re not going to win. They’re going to do it again in 2024.”
