Donald Trump has issued another plea for absolute presidential immunity to shield him from prosecution over acts carried out during his presidency, with the US Supreme Court set to issue a momentous ruling on the matter before the end of June.
The appeal was just one of a number of bizarre posts on his Truth Social platform over the weekend, with the Republican presidential contender also lashing out at President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden, The Washington Post, Illinois governor JB Pritzker and even Pope Francis.
Trump was in Detroit, Michigan, on Saturday where he used a rally appearance to complain about American support for Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia and describe the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, as “the greatest salesman of all time.”
The former president dismissed the $50bn aid package recently approved by the Biden administration for Ukraine, griping: “It never ends.”
He also suggested that President Biden “should have to take a cognitive test”, only to then immediately forget who had administered his own psychological exam, referring to Texas Republican representative Ronny Jackson, who was White House physician during his presidency, as “Ronny Johnson”.
Fauci recounts expletive-filled talk from Trump during pandemic
You Know Who unleashed an expletive-filled rant about the stock market not increasing enough when the first Covid-19 vaccine trials were successful, Dr Anthony Fauci has recounted.
Fauci, one of the nation’s top infectious disease experts who helped lead the American response to the pandemic until 2022, is publishing On Call: A Doctor’s Journey in Public Service next week.
His chapter on working with Trump in lockdown is aptly titled, “He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not,” according to The New York Times’ review of the book.
Katie Hawkinson takes a look.
Joe Sommerlad17 June 2024 14:15
Trump talked about executing people, ex-White House aide reveals
Alyssa Farah Griffin, director of strategic communications at the White House from April to December 2020, is only the latest person to make this alarming claim about her former employer, joining ex-US attorney general Bill Barr, for one.
John Bowden has this report.
Joe Sommerlad17 June 2024 13:45
Biden targets Trump conviction with $50m election ad campaign
The president’s campaign is targeting Trump’s criminal convictions in a new $50m advertising campaign ahead of the first presidential debate between the two candidates at the end of the month.
In the 30-second ad, which will run in all swing battleground states, voters will be told: “This election is between a convicted criminal who’s only out for himself, and a president who’s fighting for your family.”
The Biden campaign has previously steered clear of weighing in on Trump’s legal cases in an effort to avoid accusations by Republicans that President Biden is politicising the process.
Joe Sommerlad17 June 2024 13:30
Biden warns Trump could select two more Supreme Court justices if he wins election
The president has warned of the possibility that Trump could get to appoint two new Supreme Court justices if the former president wins November’s election.
Appearing at a star-studded fundraising gala on Saturday night, Biden explained on stage that “the next president is likely to have two new Supreme Court nominees.”
He added that Trump had previously appointed two justices who were “very negative in terms of the rights of individuals.”
Amelia Neath and James Liddell have this one.
Joe Sommerlad17 June 2024 13:15
Trump’s veepstakes intensify as former rival rises to top of the pile
Florida senator “Little” Marco Rubio is reportedly in the final three to be Trump’s running mate, despite the former animosity between the two men when they were rivals for their party’s nomination in 2016.
Here’s more from John Bowden.
Joe Sommerlad17 June 2024 13:00
Judge schedules Friday hearing in Trump’s Florida classified documents case
A hearing has been set for Friday this week in the case concerning Trump’s mishandling of classified documents belonging to the US government after leaving the White House in January 2021.
Judge Aileen Cannon will hold a hearing in Florida as the former president and his team continues to try to dismiss the charges against him based on the argument that special counsel Jack Smith was unlawfully appointed.
Judge Cannon has shown a great deal of interest in the question previously and has allowed outside parties to argue before her at the hearing about why the appointment was supposedly unlawful.
Joe Sommerlad17 June 2024 12:45
Trump VP hopeful urges Supreme Court to step in over hush money case
Florida Republican congressman Byron Donalds, seen by some to be in with a chance of being picked as Trump’s next running mate, has urged the Supreme Court to take up the former president’s New York case in which he was convicted on 34 counts of falsification of business records.
“Speaker [Mike] Johnson, myself included, and many Americans believe the Supreme Court should step into this matter,” Donalds told NBC’s Meet the Press yesterday.
Donalds referenced the lengthy appellate process in New York on Sunday, citing it as a reason why the Supreme Court should step in and called the case against Trump an attempt to “interfere” in the Republican candidate’s election campaign.
“This is being done for political purposes. Everybody knows how the court system works in New York. The only ability for this to be overturned is going to be happening two or three years from now,” Donalds said.
His comments come after Mike Johnson told Fox News that the Supreme Court should look into the case.
“There’s a lot of developments yet to come, but I do believe the Supreme Court should step in. Obviously, this is totally unprecedented,” Johnson told Fox and Friends the morning after Trump’s conviction.

Joe Sommerlad17 June 2024 12:15
Trump surrogates Burgum and Scott push adulation and false claims on Sunday shows
Two boys who have very definitely guzzled up that MAGA Kool-Aid, North Dakota governor Doug Burgum and South Carolina senator Tim Scott, were out talking Trump yesterday, presumably doing their master’s bidding in exchange for juicy flies like Renfield.
Joe Sommerlad17 June 2024 11:45
Video of Trump walking down stairs raises concern: ‘There is something seriously wrong’
Trump and his allies seize on every possible opportunity to claim Biden is too old and infirm to be president (see their antics regarding his appearance in Italy last week).
But their own candidate is 78 now and seemingly not as robust as he and they would have you believe.
Here’s Sinead Butler for Indy100 on his struggle to clamber down the steps of his jet on Saturday.
Joe Sommerlad17 June 2024 11:30
Trump attacks Zelensky, forgets his doctor’s name and raves about tank batteries
After his brief soujourn to church, Trump addressed another Turning Point USA event in the Motor City on Saturday, following his recent speech to Charlie Kirk’s Las Vegas chapter.
He complained about American support for Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia and described the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, as “the greatest salesman of all time.”
The former president dismissed the $50bn aid package recently approved by the Biden administration for Ukraine, griping: “It never ends.”
He also suggested that President Biden “should have to take a cognitive test”, only to then immediately forget who had administered his own psychological exam, referring to Texas Republican representative Ronny Jackson, who was White House physician during his presidency, as “Ronny Johnson” (a confusion with Wisconsin senator Ron Johnson?).
Best of all was this bizarre sequel to his electric boats/shark attacks bit, now taking on a military tone.
Joe Sommerlad17 June 2024 11:15

