List of All Articles with Tag 'eric'

Nearly four years after Lori Vallow killed her two children, the “doomsday cult” mom is expected to be sentenced to spend the rest of her life behind bars. Following much delay caused by the Covid pandemic and procedural hurdles, Fremont County District Judge Steven Boyce is expected to hand down 50-year-old Vallow’s sentence at the Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Idaho, on Monday. Vallow was found guilty in May of killing her seven-year-old son Joshua “JJ” Vallow and 16-year-old daughter Tylee Ryan sometime in late 2019 and taking their security benefits. She was also convicted of conspiring to kill her husband Chad Daybell’s first wife Tammy that year. The children’s bodies were found in June 2020 at a pet cemetery in Mr Daybell’s residence. Tylee’s remains were discovered burned, while JJ was strangled to death and found still in his pyjamas and with a plastic bag over his head and duct tape over his mouth. Vallow’s sentencing may mark the end of her legal saga in Idaho but her husband will be tried later this year on the same charges that she was convicted of — Vallow is also facing charges of conspiring to kill in the death of her fourth husband Charles Vallow in Arizona. Evidence introduced during the six-week trial included bizarre testimony from family members that she called her son and daughter zombies and said she was a goddess sent to usher in the Biblical apocalypse. Vallow and Mr Daybell apparently believed in an ability to use their minds to cast out demons from people and “work on them”. The convicted child killer is expected to be sentenced to life in prison. However, Mr Daybell is facing the death penalty in the case. Vallow has been held at Madison County Jail ahead of sentencing but will be transferred to the custody of the Idaho Department of Correction and then expected to be relocated to the Pocatello Women’s Correctional Center, according to KTVB. Mr Daybell and Vallow were slated to stand trial together before Judge Boyce ruled in March that the cases would be severed. Four family members are expected to give victim impact statements at Vallow’s sentencing, according to previously submitted requests to the court following Idaho law. Vallow’s only surviving son 27-year-old Colby Ryan and her sister Summer Shiflet are expected to deliver their statements. JJ’s grandmother Kay Woodcock and Tammy Daybell’s aunt Vicki Hoban are also expected to address the court during sentencing. Vallow’s defence attorneys will also have an opportunity to speak on her behalf. Once Vallow is sentenced, Arizona prosecutors are expected to submit requests for extradition. In Maricopa County, she has been charged with conspiracy to kill her fourth husband Charles Vallow, who was shot dead by Vallow’s brother Alex Cox, on July 11 2019. JJ and Tylee then vanished without a trace back in September 2019, with their mother refusing to reveal their whereabouts to authorities for many months. One month after the children were last seen alive, Tammy – Mr Daybell’s wife and an otherwise healthy 49-year-old – died suddenly and Vallow and Mr Daybell soon jetted off to Hawaii to get married on the beach. In June 2020, the remains of JJ and Tylee were found buried on the grounds of Mr Daybell’s property in Rexburg, Idaho, and the doomsday cult couple were eventually charged with murder. Prosecutors argued that Vallow and Mr Daybell conspired with Cox to murder Tammy, JJ and Tylee as part of their bizarre cult beliefs – but also for financial purposes so that they could collect Tammy’s life insurance money and the children’s social security and survivor benefits. Read More American mother-of-three arrested in Bahamas over alleged plot to kill ex-football star husband Sanctuary for Pablo Escobar’s family in UK was part of secret deal Breakthrough in Long Island serial killings shines light on the many unsolved murders of sex workers

GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley says she’s concerned about the new allegations levied at Donald Trump by the Justice Department, a sign that the Republican field may be growing more comfortable with openly criticising the former commander-in-chief. Ms Haley was speaking in an interview that aired on Sunday on CBS’s Face The Nation when she was asked about new charges filed by the Department of Justice in a superceding indictment this past week accusing Mr Trump of showing classified information to guests at his Bedminster, New Jersey golf club — as well as a new charge of obstructing justice. The former UN ambassador, appointed under Mr Trump, responded that she was very concerned “if these accusations are true”. The most recent accusations, notably, are supported by an audio recording of the Bedminster meeting in question in which Mr Trump can be heard exclaiming that documents he was holding (or gesturing to) were classified. “I think we need to see it,” Ms Haley said, presumably referring to the extent of the DoJ’s evidence. “You know, I think we've heard about it. I think that we know that there's something out there. But look, everybody's innocent until they're proven guilty. And like I said, if this is true, it's incredibly dangerous to our national security. And I think that will play out, but I think that we have to go and see what all the facts are.” She added: “[I]f these accusations are true, it's incredibly dangerous to our national security. But again, this is coming down from a Department of Justice that, frankly, the American people don't trust. “ Mr Trump’s latest criminal indictment — his second — brings the total number of charges he now faces up to 74, split among state and federal jurisdictions. A third is expected to drop within days, charging him with crimes related to the months-long effort by his team to change the 2020 election results including his actions leading up to and during the January 6 attack. Altogether, the charges depict an unprecedented pattern of criminality stemming back from before Mr Trump was ever elected to the stunning end of his administration in January 2021. He now battles for the 2024 Republican nomination, eager to use the powers of the presidency to thwart as much of the legal pressure he now faces as possible, while facing a crowded GOP field seemingly undaunted by his continued polling dominance and utter rout of his party rivals in 2016. Mr Trump has denied guilt in any of the dozens of criminal counts of which he is accused, and maintains that the Justice Department is conspiring with the Biden White House to block him from the presidency. Read More Chris Christie slams Trumps as ‘Corleones with no experience’ Right-wing TV host at Trump rally denies he wants to kill liberals, globalists, and RINOs Trump returns to first impeachment roots by saying Ukraine aid should be linked to Biden probes Only four out of dozens of former Trump cabinet members say he should be re-elected Nikki Haley urges McConnell and Feinstein to ‘walk away’ after recent health concerns Donald Trump's defamation lawsuit against CNN over 'the Big Lie' dismissed in Florida

An American woman has been arrested in the Bahamas for allegedly plotting her husband’s murder. Thirty-six-year-old Lindsay Shiver was arrested after law enforcement in the area uncovered her alleged murder plot while investigating a separate crime, The Bahamas Court News reported. A source told the outlet that Ms Shiver and her husband and father of her three children Robert Shiver, 38, owned a house in the Bahamas. Mr Shiver, who played for Auburn University’s Tigers from 2006 to 2008, filed for divorce earlier this year after finding out that her wife allegedly had an extra-marital affair. Although details about the alleged scheme have not been released, local police arrested Ms Shiver, her alleged 28-year-old lover Terrance Bethel and Faron Newbold, also 28, who authorities say was hired to be the hitman. Texts in preparation for the supposed murder attempt incriminated the suspects, according to The New York Post. The evidence was found during an investigation into a robbery at a Great Guana Cay bar. The three suspects are currently being held in a jail facility in Nassau. They’re expected back in court on 5 October. Read More Mother, 18, accused of trying to hire hitman to kill three-year-old son Jimmy Hoffa disappearance anniversary: What happened to long-lost union leader presumed murdered by the mob? Sanctuary for Pablo Escobar’s family in UK was part of secret deal

A broadcaster at the rightwing network Right Side Broadcasting Network (RSBN) interrupted the programming ahead of former President Donald Trump’s rally in Erie, Pennsylvania to reject the notion that he wanted to kill liberals, globalists, and insufficiently conservative or Trump-supporting Republicans, known as RINOs (Republicans In Name Only). Matthew Alvarez said on Saturday that “There is something that is trending on Twitter right now ... I was interviewing people ... they were talking about how great the country is, how great the president is, and I heard something else that was spoken ... what I’m hearing is somebody said, ‘Well let’s kill them all.’ That is not something that I agree with, obviously,” he said, according to RawStory. Footage from the pre-rally interviews shows a Trump supporter saying that he will “guarantee” that Mr Trump gets back into the White House. He’s then asked what his opinion is on the globalists and RINOs and he appears to respond “Kill them all” to which Mr Alvarez says “I agree with you on that”. After the incident, Mr Alvarez backtracked to his viewers: “So if there is something that happened, where somebody was speaking out there, I didn’t hear those words spoken. It’s very loud outside. All I know is I’m here for God, for this country, for truth, for President Trump, that kind of thing. Definitely not a proponent of anything like that happening.” A fellow host on RSBN added: “It is very natural for someone to maybe agree with them, even if you didn’t understand.” “They will take a clip of that and run with it. We all know that’s not what you meant,” he added. “I didn’t say it, I didn’t hear the guy say it,” Mr Alvarez responded. Read More Nikki Haley urges McConnell and Feinstein to ‘walk away’ after recent health concerns Trump indictment – live: Trump echoes Ukraine impeachment as his PAC spends $40m on legal fees Only four out of dozens of former Trump cabinet members say he should be re-elected

Chris Christie launched yet another attack on former President Donald Trump and his team following the filing of further charges against him in relation to his handling of classified documents. The former New Jersey governor and ex-Trump ally called the Trump team “the Corleones with no experience” in reference to the crime family in the Godfather movies. “This is bad stuff. And you can’t say there was no underlying potential crime here,” Mr Christie said on CNN on Sunday. “This was the withholding of confidential classified information from the government. After 18 months of asking Donald Trump to return it voluntarily, not only did he not return it. He lied about having it,” he added. In the updated indictment, prosecutors state that two of Mr Trump’s employees, Walt Nauta, an aide, and maintenance worker Carlos De Oliveira, tried to delete surveillance footage at Mar-A-Lago, Mr Trump’s private club and residence in Florida, after the Department of Justice had issued a subpoena seeking the footage. The indictment states that Mr De Oliveira told the IT director “that ‘the boss’ wanted the server deleted”. Another count of willful retention of national defence information and two counts of obstruction were added to the 37 counts Mr Trump already faced in the case. On Sunday, Mr Trump rejected the notion that he had told his staff to delete the footage, writing in a post on Truth Social that his team had “voluntarily” provided the authorities with the footage. “This is not what a former president should be doing, and it’s certainly not something that someone who wants to be president should be doing,” Mr Christie said on CNN. “The government has made a very, very compelling case,” he added. The former Garden State governor is one of the staunchest critics of the former president to enter the race against him while most other candidates are still very reluctant to criticize Mr Trump. Fellow GOP 2024 candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, a tech entrepreneur, told CNN on Sunday that the additional charges against Mr Trump made no difference to his promise of pardoning Mr Trump if elected. “I intend to be our next president. And, yes, I do believe I will move us forward. And, yes, I think one of the right ways to do that is to pardon the former president of the United States from what is clearly a politicized prosecution,” he said. Mr Ramaswamy added that Mr Trump shouldn’t be convicted of a crime “that would not have existed but for the existence of an investigation”. The former UN ambassador and governor of South Carolina, Nikki Haley, another 2024 candidate, told CBS News on Sunday that if the allegations Mr Trump faces are accurate, “It’s incredibly dangerous to our national security”. But she said the charges are “coming down from a Department of Justice that, frankly, the American people don’t trust”. When asked if she would pardon Mr Trump, she said she would do “what’s in the best interest of the country”. Read More Trump indictment – live: Trump echoes Ukraine impeachment as his PAC spends $40m on legal fees Nikki Haley urges McConnell and Feinstein to ‘walk away’ after recent health concerns Only four out of dozens of former Trump cabinet members say he should be re-elected GOP presidential candidate Chris Christie calls Trump a ‘one man crime wave’ Why was Donald Trump impeached twice during his presidency? Unanswered questions about Trump’s looming January 6 indictment

Deadly clashes broke out between rival factions in Ein el-Hilweh refugee camp over the weekend.

Nikki Haley is once again pressing Washington’s greying political establishment to step aside after a pair of concerning moments involving two of the Senate’s oldest members grabbed headlines in recent days. The former South Carolina governor and UN ambassador spoke to CBS’s Margaret Brennan in an interview that aired on Sunday; she is currently campaigning in early primary states as she seeks the GOP nomination for president. A central tenet of her campaign’s message since its onset has been a call for a new generation of leaders to take the helm in both parties. As such, Brennan asked her about the moment that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell froze and appeared unable to speak at a press conference on Wednesday, after which he was led away by a colleauge. It was later revealed that the Senate GOP leader had suffered an undisclosed fall earlier in July while still recovering from a concussion suffered in the spring. “I think Mitch McConnell did an amazing job when it comes to our judiciary. When we look at the judges, when we look at the Supreme Court, he's been a great leader. But I do think that this is one – you know, we've got to stop electing people because they look good in the picture or they hold a baby well,” she told CBS News. “We've got to stop electing people because we like them and they've been there a long time. That's actually the problem. You need to have term limits, because we need new ideas, new solutions. We've got to have a new generation.” Ms Haley added when pressed by Brennan on whether she had confidence in Mr McConnell remaining leader of the Senate Republican caucus: “What I am saying about Mitch McConnell, Dianne Feinstein, Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, all of them: know when to walk away, know when to walk away. We have huge issues that need new solutions. We need new generational leaders. We appreciate your service. We appreciate what you've done. But this is why we will fight for term limits. We've got to get it done in America.” Her remark naming Senator Feinstein was an apparent reference to another moment that drew the attention of reporers this past week when the senior senator from California appeared confused during a committee hearing and launched into a speech calling for a vote which was already in progress. And persistent concerns about Joe Biden’s age have followed him doggedly throughout his first term. The 80-year-old Mr Biden was already the oldest US president to be sworn into office in 2021, and is now facing some calls from progressives and others concerned about criticisms focused on his mental acuity to step aside and allow a younger politician to be the Democratic Party’s standard-bearer. Ms Pelosi’s inclusion on the list is only notable given that she is the sole named party leader to have already given up her leadership position, willingly, earlier this year. The 83-year-old California congresswoman handed over command of the Democratic caucus to Hakeem Jeffries at the beginning of the year while Republicans struggled to annoint their own leader in a chaotic speakership election. Ms Haley was less certain in her interview with CBS whether Donald Trump, 77, would be included in her call for ageing politicians to step aside. But she maintained that he should take a mental acuity test, as she argues all presidential contenders should. And she relented after pressing from Brennan that Mr Trump was “of course” not who she had in mind when she made her call for leaders with new ideas, age notwithstanding. “I just said we need a new generational leader,” she noted. “I mean, that goes ... for all of them. You can look across DC ... Of course, I'm talking about Trump. I've said that all throughout this campaign that it is time for us to have a new generation. We've lost – Republicans have lost the last seven out of eight popular votes for president. That's nothing to be proud of, we should want to win the majority of Americans, we've got to start going with a new generation so that we can do that. “ Read More Mitch McConnell vows to serve out full Senate term following questions over his health Sen Dianne Feinstein appears confused and is instructed to vote ‘aye’ by fellow senator at meeting Mitch McConnell leaves press conference abruptly after appearing unable to speak Joe Biden, America's oldest sitting president, needs young voters to win again. Will his age matter? Trump, amid legal perils, calls on GOP to rally around him as he threatens primary challenges Biden acknowledges Hunter’s daughter Navy in public for first time

Donald Trump returned to the roots of his first impeachment when he suggested that aid to Ukraine should be conditioned on congressional investigations of President Joe Biden. The former president called for Republicans in Congress to hold back on more support for Ukraine until the White House cooperates with their probes into the business dealings of Mr Biden and his son Hunter Biden. The Saturday night tirade at a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania echoed the conduct that led to Mr Trump’s first of his two impeachments when he used military aid to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to open an investigation into then-candidate Biden in 2019. “Congress should refuse to authorize a single additional shipment of our depleted weapons stockpiles … to Ukraine until the FBI, DOJ and IRS hand over every scrap of evidence they have on the Biden Crime Family’s corrupt business dealings,” Mr Trump said on Saturday. Meanwhile, Mr Trump’s Super PAC Save America spent $40m on legal fees in the first six months of this year, according to The Washington Post. Read More Who's in, who's out: A look at which candidates have qualified for the 1st GOP presidential debate Trump, amid legal perils, calls on GOP to rally around him as he threatens primary challenges Trump rehearses defence over possible election lies charges at Pennsylvania rally Donald Trump’s $475m ‘Hitler’ defamation lawsuit against CNN thrown out by federal judge ‘Poetic’: Trump takes stage in Iowa to song about going to prison

Only four out of dozens of former Trump cabinet members say he should be re-elected in 2024. NBC News contacted 44 of those who served in then-President Donald Trump’s cabinet between 2017 and 2021. While many declined to comment or didn’t answer, only four have publicly endorsed Mr Trump for the office he once held. Several of them have been trying to remain as neutral as possible as the Republican primary plays out. There are those who oppose Mr Trump’s return to the presidency. Former Attorney General Bill Barr told NBC, “I have made clear that I strongly oppose Trump for the nomination and will not endorse Trump”. Mr Barr was asked how he would cast his vote if the 2024 general election ended up being a rematch between Mr Trump and President Joe Biden. “I’ll jump off that bridge when I get to it,” he said. The Trump campaign told NBC to contact three ex-cabinet members, one who has endorsed him and two who didn’t commit to doing so at this time. Speaking about Mr Trump’s cabinet, the director of presidential studies at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center, Barbara Perry, told NBC, “They’re not friends – they’re not hanging on forever”. “They’re going to skip out, or he’s going to push them out in some instances,” she added. Those supporting Mr Trump’s return to the White House are former acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, his last Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, former budget chief Russell Vought, and former acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell. A spokesperson for Mr Meadows told NBC he “fully” supports Mr Trump. Mr Vought wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, in May that Mr Trump “is the only person I trust to take a wrecking ball to the Deep State.” “I’ve seen his willingness up close and behind closed doors,” he added. “My friend and former boss is going to finish what he started.” One of Mr Trump’s chiefs of staff, Mick Mulvaney, told NBC that he is “working hard to make sure that someone else is the nominee”. “I think he’s the Republican who is most likely to lose in a general election, of all our leading candidates. If anyone can lose to Joe Biden, it would be him,” he added. Two former members of the Trump cabinet – ex-VP Mike Pence and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley – are running against Mr Trump in the Republican primary. Former Trump Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats told NBC he supports Mr Pence. Mr Coats is a former GOP senator from Indiana, where Mr Pence served as a US representative and governor before becoming vice president. “I think he has all the qualities to be a great president,” Mr Coats said. “I know it’s a steep climb for him, but I think the steps he has taken now show the integrity of who he is and his qualifications.” Elaine Chao, Mr Trump’s Transportation Secretary, has criticised Mr Trump for his racially charged attacks against her. “When I was young, some people deliberately misspelled or mispronounced my name,” she has said. “Asian Americans have worked hard to change that experience for the next generation. He doesn’t seem to understand that, which says a whole lot more about him than it will ever say about Asian Americans.” Ms Chao is married to Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell who didn’t respond when asked by NBC if she would support anyone in the presidential race. Mr Trump’s Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Ben Carson, told NBC: “Donald Trump is my friend and would make a fantastic president, and if I have an announcement to make about 2024, I’ll look forward to doing so in an appropriate way.” Trump Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, now a Montana Representative in the US House, told NBC: “I think the president is on a glide slope right now, but he’s got some hurdles.” “From an individual who worked for him, I know he’s tough. They’re throwing everything at him, and he’s got some significant hurdles ahead. I take the indictment seriously, I think everyone should. So he’s got some tough hurdles before him, but I tell you what, there’s only one Donald J Trump,” he added. Read More Trump returns to first impeachment roots by saying Ukraine aid should be linked to Biden probes Trump indictment – live: Trump road tests election lies defence at rally, as his CNN ‘Hitler’ lawsuit fails Joe Biden, America's oldest sitting president, needs young voters to win again. Will his age matter? Donald Trump's defamation lawsuit against CNN over 'the Big Lie' dismissed in Florida Trump returns to impeachment by saying Ukraine aid should be linked to Biden probes Joe Biden, America's oldest sitting president, needs young voters to win again. Will his age matter?

Donald Trump returned to the roots of his first impeachment when he suggested that aid to Ukraine should be conditioned on congressional investigations of President Joe Biden. The former president called for Republicans in Congress to hold back on more support for Ukraine until the White House cooperates with their probes into the business dealings of Mr Biden and his son Hunter Biden. The Saturday night tirade at a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania echoed the conduct that led to Mr Trump’s first of his two impeachments when he used military aid to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to open an investigation into then-candidate Biden in 2019. “Congress should refuse to authorize a single additional shipment of our depleted weapons stockpiles … to Ukraine until the FBI, DOJ and IRS hand over every scrap of evidence they have on the Biden Crime Family’s corrupt business dealings,” Mr Trump said on Saturday. He argued that all Republicans who don’t join the efforts should be challenged in their primaries – Mr Trump endorsed challengers in the 2022 midterms of the Republicans who voted for his impeachment after the January 6, 2021 insurrection. Republicans are probing Hunter Biden’s business interests in China and Ukraine during the Obama administration when Mr Biden served as vice president. Hunter Biden served on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company. The White House has argued that the GOP hasn’t presented any proof of wrongdoing by the president. Republicans in Congress have shared their frustration regarding the administration’s response to their requests for records. The Oversight Committee has got hold of thousands of pages of financial documents and they’ve also looked at Treasury Department bank activity reports and an internal report by the FBI, according to The Washington Post. Far-right conservatives in the party have been putting pressure on House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to turn the investigations into an impeachment inquiry. The speaker indicated last week that he was open to doing so. A spokesperson for the Democratic National Committee (DNC), Ammar Moussa, told The Post: “Just like when he was impeached, Trump is using aid to Ukraine to play politics, which only serves to benefit one person: Vladimir Putin. MAGA Republicans like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Kevin McCarthy are echoing Trump’s baseless attacks, floating a political impeachment, and wasting taxpayer dollars instead of working with President Biden on actually delivering lower costs, more jobs, and safer communities for the American people.” Mr Trump spoke to Mr Zelensky in 2019 in what the ex-president has referred to as a “perfect” phone call. At the time, Mr Zelensky was requesting US missiles as his country was trying to resist what later became the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February of last year. “I would like you to do us a favour though,” Mr Trump responded on the call, before going on to ask that Mr Zelensky help him find DNC emails that he suggested, without evidence, were located on a server in Ukraine. Mr Trump also asked that Mr Zelensky discuss investigating Hunter Biden with his lawyer Rudy Giuliani and Attorney General William Barr. The phone call prompted a complaint by a whistleblower which later led to the impeachment inquiry. He was impeached in the House for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. He was acquitted in the Senate, where one Republican, Mitt Romney of Utah, voted with the Democrats. Read More Trump indictment – live: Trump road tests election lies defence at rally, as his CNN ‘Hitler’ lawsuit fails Joe Biden, America's oldest sitting president, needs young voters to win again. Will his age matter? Who's in, who's out: A look at which candidates have qualified for the 1st GOP presidential debate The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary

Former president Donald Trump floated his potential defence for the potential charges he faces for promoting lies about the election during a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania. The already-twice-impeached-twice-indicted former president now faces potential a potential third indictment for spreading lies about the 2020 presidential election. But speaking to the crowd in Pennsylvania, a state where he lost 43 lawsuits as he tried to dispute the 2020 presidential election results, Mr Trump pushed back on the potential accusations. “Why didn’t the corrupt Marxist prosecutors bring these radical and unjustified charges against me two and a half years ago,” Mr Trump asked the crowd. “They had two and a half years. Two and a half years. Nobody even knew they were looking at it. I don’t think they were.” Mr Trump said with no evidence that Special Counsel Jack Smith’s office waited as long as it did to indict him in the middle of his 2024 presidential campaign. “Because it’s election interference,” he said. “These are crooked people.” Mr Trump repeated his continued lies that the 2020 presidential election was stolen and questioned why the press did not call Pennsylvania for him in the 2016 or 2020 presidential election. “They just refused to call it because in my opinion, they were trying to cheat and they couldn't quite pull it off,” he told the crowd. So far, Mr Trump has been indicted by the district attorney for New York County’s office for charges related to hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and by Mr Smith’s office for his handling of documents related to national security. Mr Trump pled not guilty to all charges. Mr Trump also railed against Fani Willis, the district attorney for Fulton County, Georgia, who is investigating Mr Trump’s attempts overturn the election results in the state. “So they have a DA there that doesn't do anything about crime,” he said. “All she does is focus on ‘let’s get Trump.’ We got to get him.” The former president said he was being treated unfairly and said that Democrats made far more inflammatory statements than he did in the past. Read More Trump’s election fraud claims were always bogus. Will his history of lies finally catch up to him? Trump indictment – live: Trump’s ‘Hitler’ lawsuit against CNN thrown out ahead of rally in Pennsylvania Trump’s $475m ‘Hitler’ defamation lawsuit against CNN thrown out by federal judge ‘Poetic’: Trump takes stage in Iowa to song about going to prison Ex-Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon joins push for third-party presidential bid as Democrats try to stop it

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday appeared to downplay not attending an economic summit in Johannesburg next month amid a controversy over an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court, saying he doesn't think his presence there is "more important than my presence here, in Russia.” Putin's remarks come more than a week after South African authorities said he will not attend the Aug. 22-24 gathering, which brings together a bloc of developing economies known as BRICS, because of the warrant, even though he was initially invited. The Kremlin said the Russian president will take part in the summit via video link, but didn't provide a reason for the decision and didn't say whether Putin had ever intended to attend in person. Asked about his reasons for not going, Putin told Russian journalists Saturday that he's “in contact with all colleagues," referring to the leaders of Brazil, India, China and South Africa, which together with Russia constitute the BRICS bloc, and that he doesn't “think my presence at the BRICS summit is more important that my presence here, in Russia, right now." “That's it,” Putin said, adding he will take part via video link and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will travel to the summit. Moscow has showcased the BRICS alliance as an alternative to the West’s global dominance, but this year’s meeting has proved awkward for Putin following the ICC’s move in March to indict him for war crimes relating to the abduction of children from Ukraine. South Africa is a signatory to the Rome treaty that formed the International Criminal Court and therefore has the obligation to arrest the Russian leader if he sets foot on South African territory. South Africa had given strong hints that it would not arrest Putin if he attended but had also been lobbying for him not to come to avoid the problem. Although Moscow dismissed the warrant, Putin has not traveled to a country that is a signatory to the ICC treaty since his indictment. Analysts have said that the public debate about whether the Russian leader would or would not travel to South Africa was in itself an unwelcome development for the Kremlin. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide