Special counsel Jack Smith filed a superseding indictment in his case indicting former President Trump for his actions seeking to subvert the 2020 election
The superseding indictment is an effort by the special counsel to respond to a ruling earlier this summer by the Supreme Court, which held that Trump and other former executives retain broad immunity for core actions they took as president and are presumptively immune for other actions taken while in office.
While the indictment retains the original charges – a sign of Smith’s confidence in the evidence underpinning the case – it makes significant cuts in an effort “to respect and implement the Supreme Court’s holdings.”
The filing removes former Justice Department attorney Jeffrey Clark as an unnamed, unindicted co-conspirator in the case, a reflection of specific instructions from the Supreme Court that said Trump’s conversations with Justice Department officials were protected from prosecution.
The superseding indictment is 10 pages shorter than the original, cutting lengthy examples from the original “speaking indictment” that walked through the evidence against Trump and his plots to remain in power.
But the new filing takes pains to distinguish various elements of Trump’s efforts to unwind the election as actions taken purely in a private capacity – and thus conduct that can be prosecuted.
Trump on his social media site called it “an effort to resurrect a ‘dead’ Witch Hunt” and move by Smith to “save face.”
“Deranged Jack Smith, has brought a ridiculous new Indictment against me, which has all the problems of the old Indictment, and should be dismissed IMMEDIATELY,” Trump wrote.
The Tuesday filing comes after Smith presented the case against the former president to a second grand jury, which had not previously heard the matter. It likewise concluded charges were warranted against the president.
As Americans continue to wait for official midterm results to trickle in Republicans are already diving themselves into two camps: Ron DeSantis or Donald Trump.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy delivers remarks at the 2021 Capitol Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in Washington DC, December 1, 2021. USDA Forest Service photo by Tanya E. Flores.
Last month, over 20 House Republican lawmakers refused to vote for Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s bid for House Speaker. However, after 15 grueling rounds of voting McCarthy finally held the Speaker’s gavel.
Not every holdout got exactly what he or she had asked for, some won plum committee assignments from McCarthy, here’s what we know so far:
Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, a vocal McCarthy foe during the speaker fight, flipped to “present” in the 14th round. Gaetz will continue to serve on the Judiciary panel and was appointed by the Speaker to the new weaponization subcommittee.
Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona a former head of the Freedom Caucus and one of the five so-called “Never Kevins,” kept his position on the powerful Judiciary and Oversight committee. The Arizona Congressman was also named chairman of the Judiciary’s subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance. Ultimately, Biggs changed his vote to “present” on the final ballot for speaker, helping propell McCarthy over the finish line.
Rep. Dan Bishop of North Carolina flipped to back McCarthy on the 12th ballot, and will continue to serve on both the Judiciary and Homeland Security committees. McCarthy also named Bishop to the Judiciary’s new subcommittee on the “Weaponization of the Federal Government.”
Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, the vocal McCarthy critic who voted “present” on the 14th and 15th ballots, was awarded a seat on the Oversight and Accountability Committee. She will also continue to serve on the Natural Resources panel.
Rep. Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma, the freshman Congressman flipped to McCarthy on the 12th ballot and won seats on the Homeland Security Committee and Budget committees.
Rep. Mike Cloud of Texas flipped to McCarthy on the 12th ballot. The Lone Star state Congressman won a new seat on the powerful Appropriations Committee, which controls federal spending. McCarthy also named him to the new select committee investigating the origins of the Covid pandemic.
Rep. Andrew Clyde of Georgia, another lawmaker who flipped to McCarthy on the 12th ballot, will serve on the Appropriations Committee for the first time.
Rep. Eli Crane of Arizona will serve on the Homeland Security Committee.
Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida was nominated to run against McCarthy for speaker and flipped to him on the 12th ballot. Donalds was named by McCarthy as the “speaker’s designee” on the influential Steering Committee, which decides which lawmakers get committee gavels and seats. Donalds also won a coveted spot on the Financial Services Committee, a top panel known on Capitol Hill as an “A” committee.
Rep. Bob Good of Virginia, one of the Never Kevins who flipped to “present” in the last round of voting, will serve on the Budget and Education and Workforce committees.
Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona flipped to McCarthy on the 12th ballot and was reinstated by Republicans on two committees —Oversight and Natural Resources panels. He was named chairman of the Natural Resources subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.
Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland will continue to serve on the Appropriations panel. Harris, a physician, will be the chairman of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration subcommittee.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida flipped to McCarthy on the 12th ballot. The freshman Congresswoman won a seat on the Oversight and Natural Resources panels.
Rep. Mary Miller of Illinois will remain on the Agriculture Committee.
Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina, one of the “Never Kevins” who flipped to McCarthy on the 12th ballot, was named by the speaker as one of nine Republicans on the Rules Committee. Additionally, the South Carolina congressman will remain on the Financial Services panel and will serve on the Budget Committee too.
Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee won a seat on the Financial Services Committee.
Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus who brokered a deal between conservatives and McCarthy, will remain on the Foreign Affairs Committee. Perry also won a new seat on the Oversight committee.
Rep. Matt Rosendale of Montana, a “Never Kevin” who flipped to “present” on the final ballot, will continue to serve on Natural Resources.
Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, who helped Perry negotiate a deal with McCarthy, was tapped to serve on the Budget committee and the influential Rules Committee. The Lone Star state congressman will also keep his seat on the Judiciary panel.
Rep. Keith Self of Texas will serve on the Foreign Affairs panel.
Rep. Victoria Spartz of Indiana, who flipped from “present” to vote for McCarthy on the 12th ballot, will continue to serve on the Judiciary panel.
Air Force One and other presidential aircraft are expected to receive a new paint design featuring red, white, gold, and dark blue — colors long associated with President Trump’s preferred aesthetic — according to confirmation from NewsNation.
An Air Force spokesperson told NewsNation that both the luxury jet donated by Qatar and the new VC-25B Boeing aircraft currently under development will adopt the updated color scheme. The title “Air Force One” refers to any aircraft carrying the president.
In addition to the presidential aircraft, four smaller C-32 planes are also slated for repainting. These aircraft are designated as “Air Force Two” when the vice president is aboard and are frequently used by the first lady and Cabinet secretaries for official travel.
A Break from the Kennedy-Era Design
The current light blue and white design has been in place since the Kennedy administration in the early 1960s. The iconic look was created by famed industrial designer Raymond Loewy at the request of President John F. Kennedy and has remained largely unchanged for more than six decades.
The shift to a darker blue with bold red and gold accents marks the most significant visual update to the presidential fleet in generations.
According to NewsNation, the first C-32 aircraft has already been repainted and is expected to be delivered to the Air Force within the next few months.
Work Underway in Texas
CBS News first reported on the repainting efforts. Contractor L3Harris is overseeing upgrades to the Air Force Two planes at its facility in Greenville, Texas. The broader VC-25B program — the long-delayed replacement effort for the current 747-based Air Force One aircraft — remains under development through Boeing.
The new VC-25B jets are designed to replace the aging presidential aircraft that have been in service since 1990. The modernization program includes upgraded communications systems, enhanced security features, and defensive capabilities intended to ensure continuity of government under any circumstances.
A Longstanding Proposal
The idea of changing Air Force One’s paint scheme is not new. During his first term, President Trump proposed replacing the light blue design with a darker navy base and bold red striping. At the time, he described the existing color scheme as outdated and expressed interest in a look that he said better reflected American strength and tradition.
The updated red, white, and dark blue palette aligns more closely with the American flag and mirrors the aesthetic often seen in Trump-branded properties and campaign materials.
While the aircraft’s mission capabilities and security features remain the primary focus of the modernization effort, the visual redesign ensures that the presidential fleet will look noticeably different when the new planes enter service.
The repainting of the C-32 fleet is expected to be completed first, with the new VC-25B aircraft anticipated to enter service later this decade, pending continued testing and production milestones.
Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can remain in her position after a bombshell ruling by a federal judge that followed President Donald Trump’s recent attempt to fire her.
On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb, a Biden appointee based in Washington, D.C., said that she will be moving Cook’s request into a preliminary injunction, which allows Cook to stay in her role, but will last through the entire case until a decision is made, pending any appeal from the government.
The judge said Cook has shown “irreparable harm” in her time away from the Federal Reserve as she is one of the leaders in controlling monetary policy, adding that “she has lost the ability to fulfill a high-ranking, public-servant role to which she is entitled.”
The decision, which follows the Justice Department’s criminal investigation into Cook over allegations of mortgage application fraud, is the latest revelation in a high-stakes lawsuit likely headed to the Supreme Court. The probe could further complicate Cook’s fight to stay in her role on the Fed board, the panel of central bankers tasked with guiding the nation’s monetary policy.
After a hearing that lasted more than two hours on Aug. 29, Cobb indicated she would move quickly on the case — specifically on whether Trump acted unlawfully in seeking to fire Cook over mortgage fraud allegations.
Still, she also acknowledged the inherent complexities of the case and the novel requests that both Cook’s lawyers and lawyers for the Justice Department were grappling with for the first time in court.
Last week, Cobb granted a request from Cook’s attorneys seeking additional time to file their formal motion for a temporary restraining order (TRO).
The TRO is a short-term, emergency court order designed to maintain the status quo until a full hearing can be held. In plain terms, Cook asked the court to pause the firing and keep her in office until a full legal hearing can determine whether Trump’s removal was lawful.
The legal battle kicked off last month when Trump announced in a Truth Social post that he was firing Cook amid claims by his Federal Housing Finance Agency chief, Bill Pulte, that she had committed mortgage fraud.
Trump ousted Cook on Aug. 25, which prompted her to sue him in federal court three days later. Her lawsuit names as defendants Trump, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.
Pulte claimed that Cook used an Atlanta condo as her primary home, two weeks after taking a loan on a Michigan home she also declared as her primary residence.
“You are hereby removed from your position on the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve, effective immediately,” Trump wrote in a letter that accompanied the post.
Cook’s lawsuit argues that Trump’s move to fire her is unlawful and undermines the Federal Reserve’s independence. The suit, which was filed in federal court on Aug. 28, does not address the allegations that Cook listed multiple houses as a primary residence on mortgage filings.
Under the law, Cook has not been charged with any crimes.
Former failed Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton made the rare move of endorsing the primary opponent of a sitting House Democrat.
The former secretary of state who remains a vocal influence over the Party opted to endorse George Latimer instead of Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) on Wednesday.
Rep. Jamaal Bowman, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
“With Trump on the ballot, we need strong, principled Democrats in Congress more than ever,” wrote Clinton on X, adding:
In Congress, @LatimerforNY will protect abortion rights, stand up to the NRA, and fight for President Biden’s agenda—just like he’s always done.
Make a plan to vote by June 25th!
I’m honored to have the support of @HillaryClinton, whose decades of service are an inspiration.
According to Mediaite, last month CNN’s Manu Raju wrote that it is “the most competitive primary an incumbent House Democrat is facing anywhere in the country.”
Bowman, a progressive Democrat and member of the so-called “Squad,” has faced intense criticism from party colleagues over his strong criticism of Israel during its war against Hamas in Gaza following Oct. 7th.
“He’s gone far enough out that even the left-leaning Israel advocacy group J Street withdrew its endorsement of Bowman in January, complaining that he had crossed a line in putting the blame for the conflict too much on Israel and not on Hamas,” reported Raju in May, adding:
Now even many of Bowman’s fellow New York Democrats in Congress say privately they doubt he will win – but more than that, when asked by CNN, several pointedly refused to say that they want Bowman to win, or that they would support him as the race enters its final month ahead of the June 25 primary.
Bowman was also censured by the House last December after he pulled a fire alarm in an apparent effort to disrupt a vote. Bowman initially claimed he “mistakenly” pulled the alarm while rushing to vote. However, security footage late made public debunked his story. (RELATED:House Votes To Censure Democrat Rep. For Pulling Fire Alarm To Delay Vote)
Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News.
Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, once one of President Donald Trump’s most outspoken allies on Capitol Hill, has escalated her public break with the former president—this time taking direct aim at the Make America Great Again movement itself.
In a lengthy interview with independent political commentator Kim Iversen published on YouTube Thursday, Greene accused Trump of abandoning the grassroots voters who fueled his rise, branding MAGA a betrayal of the very people it promised to serve.
“MAGA is — I think people are realizing it was all a lie. It was a big lie for the people,” Greene said.
The Georgia Republican, who resigned from Congress last fall, argued that Trump has shifted his focus away from everyday Americans and toward wealthy donors and entrenched interests. According to Greene, political loyalty is now driven by money rather than principle.
“He’s more worried about serving the big big donors,” she said, referring to donors who contribute to Trump-aligned PACs and high-dollar projects, including his newly announced ballroom. “Those are the people that get the special favors, the government contracts, they get the pardons.”
Greene went on to argue that foreign governments and multinational corporations now wield disproportionate influence over U.S. policy.
“And it’s the foreign countries that are running the show here,” she added. “It’s the major big corporations and what is best for the world. That’s really what MAGA is.”
Her criticism extended to foreign policy, particularly Trump’s focus on Iran and the Middle East. Greene suggested domestic unrest is being ignored in favor of overseas conflicts.
“I’m sorry, we’ve got civil war practically breaking out in Minnesota, can we not care about that?” she said.
Greene reserved her sharpest criticism for U.S. involvement in Israel and Gaza, accusing Trump of prioritizing foreign interests over American lives and values.
“We’re seeing war on behalf of Israel,” Greene said. “We’re seeing the people in Gaza — innocent people in Gaza, hundreds of thousands of them completely murdered, so that they can build some new real estate development and money can pour in and everyone can get rich there in New Gaza.”
The remarks mark a dramatic evolution for Greene, who was once considered among Trump’s most reliable defenders in Congress. Her relationship with the former president began to fracture publicly after she accused him of dragging his feet on releasing government files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein—an issue popular among the GOP base skeptical of elite accountability.
Following those comments, Trump publicly distanced himself from Greene, dubbing her “Marjorie ‘Traitor’ Greene” and claiming she had “some sort of act going on.” Their feud intensified in the months that followed, culminating in Greene’s decision to leave Congress altogether.
While Greene has framed her resignation as a rejection of Washington politics, speculation has continued to swirl within conservative circles that she may be positioning herself for a future national run. Allies and critics alike have noted that her recent media appearances, broader ideological critiques, and willingness to challenge Trump directly resemble the early stages of a potential presidential or third-party campaign.
Greene has not formally announced any plans to run for president, but she has also declined to rule it out—fueling rumors that her break with Trump may be less about stepping away from politics and more about redefining the post-Trump conservative movement on her own terms.
According to a November report from Notus, Greene has privately expressed interest in following in Donald Trump’s footsteps to the White House. The outlet cites four sources familiar with her thinking, saying Greene believes she represents the “real MAGA” faction — the core conservative movement that has reshaped the GOP since 2016 — and that many Republican leaders have drifted away from those grassroots values. (RELATED:Marjorie Taylor Greene Reportedly Prepping For 2028 Presidential Run)
One source told Notus that Greene feels confident she has built the national donor network and grassroots support needed to mount a serious primary campaign, especially as the GOP’s base remains loyal to Trump’s populist agenda.
On Friday, New York Judge Juan Merchan sentenced President-elect Donald Trump, making him the first felon to become President.
Merchan sentenced Trump to an unconditional discharge, which eschews any prison time or probation but cements his status as a convicted felon.
“After careful analysis and obedience of government mandates, pursuant of law, the court feels the only sentence is an unconditional discharge, which is a lawful and permissible sentence for falsifying business records,” Merchan said.
“I impose that sentence for all 34 counts, and sir, I wish you godspeed as you pursue your second term in office,” he said.
Trump, in remarks virtually to the judge inside the courtroom, said that his experience throughout his criminal case in Manhattan has been “very terrible,” calling it a “tremendous setback for New York and the New York court system.”
“He said I was falsifying business records; I was calling a legal expense a legal expense,” Trump said, reiterating a defense argument from trial.
“It’s an injustice of justice,” he added.
🚨 Donald Trump’s FIRST Post on Truth without having Merchan’s unconstitutional gag order 🔥
Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the Manhattan case in May 2024.
Friday’s sentencing comes after multiple efforts to appeal the decision. On Thursday, the Supreme Court rejected Trump’s final effort to stay sentencing proceedings.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
Former President of the United States Donald Trump speaking with attendees at the 2022 Student Action Summit at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Florida. [Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons]
Former President Donald Trump said during an interview with Fox News’s Tucker Carlson that officials in the Manhattan courthouse where he was arrested apologized to him and were “actually crying.”
“When I went to the courthouse, which is also a prison in a sense, they signed me in and I’ll tell you, people were crying,” he said. “People that work there, professionally work there, that have no problems putting in murderers and they see everybody. It’s tough, tough place and they were crying. They were actually crying.”
“They said, ‘I’m sorry.’ They’d say, ‘2024, sir. 2024.’ And tears are pouring down their eyes. I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said. “Those people are phenomenal. Those are your police. Those are the people that work at the courthouse. They’re unbelievable people. Many of them were in tears or close to it. Many apologies. ‘We’re sorry, sir. We’re sorry.’ They had to have me do certain things they said. They said, ‘Sir, I can’t believe I have to ask you. I can’t even believe that I have to ask you to do it.’ You can see, so in one sense, it was beautiful because they get it. In another sense, you know, it’s nasty.”
Trump concluded on the subject by saying that “in many ways, it was a beautiful day because the people understand.”
TRUMP ON ARRAIGNMENT: “People were crying — people that worked there, professionally worked there —that have no problems putting in murderers and they see everybody. It’s a tough place and they were crying. […] They’d say, ‘2024, sir.’”
Last week, Trump was arraigned on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree.
Earlier this month, a Manhattan grand jury voted to indict former President Donald Trump for his alleged role in a hush money bribe to adult film star Stormy Daniels amid the 2016 presidential election in DA Alvin Bragg’s yearslong investigation into the real estate mogul.
Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York opted out of charging Trump related to the Daniels payment in 2019. The Federal Election Commission also tossed its investigation into the matter in 2021.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will reportedly travel to multiple states this month to campaign for key Trump-endorsed candidates.
DeSantis is planning to travel to New Mexico, Arizona, Pennsylvania and Ohio this month to participate in rallies being organized by Turning Point USA. The popular governor will stump for key candidates including Ohio Republican candidate for Senate JD Vance, Pennsylvania’s GOP gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano, Arizona Republican candidate for Senate Blake Masters and GOP nominee for governor Kari Lake.
“Gov. DeSantis is America’s governor and one of the most popular leaders in America,” Charlie Kirk, founder and president of Turning Point Action, told Fox News. “He has become the model for a new conservative movement that is willing to stand on principle and to actually fight on behalf of the values of his voters.”
Kirk added: “That he is willing to throw the full weight of his support behind Kari, Blake, and JD tells you everything you need to know about these incredible candidates who I endorse and support 100%.”
Kirk said he believes Lake “will be the Ron DeSantis of the West, and Blake and JD will help break apart the uni-party consensus in Washington D.C., to stop the endless wars, the runaway spending and put an end to the cocktail party Republicans who seem to be good at one thing only – betraying their voters.”
“Doug Mastriano has become a true champion of the grassroots in Pennsylvania and Rep. Yvette Herrell is poised to hold her critical seat in New Mexico’s 2nd congressional district,” Kirk continued, adding that DeSantis has “the unique ability to unite conservatives around these candidates.”
Lake told Fox News she believes DeSantis has set the “gold standard” for conservative governance and looks forward to working with him.
DeSantis’ tour to help “unite” the Republican Party will surely send a shiver down Democrats’ spines, as it provides a further example of his rising power within the party.
Some Democrats have already read the writing on the wall and have begun to label the Florida governor as a “scarier” opponent than Trump in regard to the next presidential election. One political strategist predicted DeSantis could be the real candidate Biden faces off against, which could ultimately pose a serious threat to Democrats.
“To me, DeSantis is the scarier prospect,” one Democratic strategist said. “He’s a smarter version of Trump, he’s way more strategic, and he doesn’t have a hundred lawsuits at his feet.“
“If Trump goes bust, and he very well may, he’s the main guy I’d be watching,” the strategist said of the Florida governor.
However, while it seems many conservatives are trending toward supporting DeSantis’ eventual bid for the White House, some Republican lawmakers are still holding out. Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, who voted to impeach former President Trump, says she’s concerned about DeSantis, especially his relationship with the former president.
Cheney, who is currently facing a fierce reelection battle, told New York Times reporter Jonathan Martin that while she may support a Republican in 2024 it definitely won’t be Trump and she’s not convinced by DeSantis either.
“I think that Ron DeSantis has lined himself up almost entirely with Donald Trump, and I think that’s very dangerous,” Rep. Cheney said.
