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Trump news - live: Manhattan DA resumes Stormy Daniels hush money probe as Elon Musk unbans conservatives

Donald Trump’s Twitter account was reinstated early on Sunday after being banned for almost two years. The reinstatement came after Twitter’s new owner Elon Musk held a survey on the platform earlier on Saturday and announced he would restore Mr Trump’s account after the majority voted in favour.

Shortly after the announcement, Mr Trump’s account reappeared on Twitter along with his previous tweets. It was restored with 0 followers and following 0 accounts, but within minutes the number of followers started rising dramatically into the hundreds of thousands.

Meanwhile, Mr Trump and many Republicans are still furious at Attorney General Merrick Garland’s appointment of an independent special prosecutor to oversee two major investigations involving the former president – one revolving around the January 6 Capitol attack and another around Mr Trump’s hoarding of government documents at Mar-a-Lago.

The appointment of Jack Smith to investigate Mr Trump has sent many in the GOP claiming that Joe Biden and Mr Garland have “politicized” the Justice Department.

Key points

  • Trump reinstated to Twitter after two-year ban

  • Trump sees ‘no reason’ to get back on Twitter

  • AG Garland names war crimes prosecutor Jack Smith as Trump probes special counsel

  • Hitting out at ‘worst politicisation of justice’, Trump says: ‘I am not going to partake in it’

Biden mocks Republican midterms slump at turkey pardon

19:40 , John Bowden

Joe Biden took a shot at Donald Trump and the failure of his hand-picked candidates to bring a “red wave” at this year’s Turkey Pardon on the White House lawn.

Mocking the GOP’s failure to take the Senate and marginal gains in the House, he quipped that the only red wave he’d be seeing this year would come if his dog Commander knocked over the cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving dinner.

Follow Andrew Feinberg’s coverage of the annual tradition here:

Biden mocks Republican midterms slump at turkey pardon

Elon Musk unbans Marjorie Taylor Greene's personal Twitter account

19:16 , John Bowden

Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene is officially on the list of far-right figures and conspiracy theorists who have been allowed back on to Elon Musk’s Twitter.

The Georgia Republican was permanently suspended by the platform’s moderators in January after her third strike of spewing misinformation about Covid-19. In that case, she had claimed that federal VARS statistics (which are completely based off of anecdotal user-submitted reports) proved that the Covid-19 vaccine was dangerous and was leading to thousands of deaths.

Elon Musk’s assumption of Twitter’s top spot has caused many of those so-called “permanent” bans to be reversed over the past week — others unbanned from the platform include Donald Trump and Canadian lecturer Jordan Peterson.

Read more:

Elon Musk unbans Marjorie Taylor Greene's personal Twitter account

Elon Musk explains why he unbanned Trump but won’t unban Alex Jones

18:20 , John Bowden

Elon Musk has revealed a caveat to his “free speech absolutist” approach to governing Twitter after allowing Donald Trump to return but refusing to reinstate conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

It came as a response to author Sam Harris, who asked whether it was “time” to let the embattled right-wing broadcaster, famous for whipping up hate against anyone from Democrats to victims of school shootings, back on the platform.

Read Elon Musk’s explanation for why that won’t be happening any time soon:

Elon Musk reveals firstborn child died in his arms as he explains Alex Jones ban

Ivanka Trump tried to escape judge’s order to monitor Trump family finances, report says

17:48 , John Bowden

Former White House aide Ivanka Trump attemped to wriggle her way out of a court order appointing a special monitor to oversee the major transactions of the Trump Organization and individuals with connections to the company, according to The Daily Beast.

The news outlet reported on Monday that the ex-president’s eldest daughter sought through letters from her attorneys to the court to have her name removed from the order, a step that her two brothers Eric and Donald Jr did not take as the New York attorney general’s lawsuit against the company progresses.

Read more from John Bowden:

Ivanka Trump tried to escape judge’s order to monitor family finances, report says

Kanye 2024?

17:20 , Andrew Naughtie

Ye, the musician previously known as Kanye West, has said that he’s intending to run for president in 2024.

In a video posted to the X17 YouTube Channel on Sunday, Ye appeared with far-right commentator Milo Yiannopoulos in which Ye appeared to refer to him as his campaign manager.

Ye’s 2020 campaign became known for its unpredictability and his alarmingly erratic public appearances, including a “rally” in South Carolina where he appeared in a bulletproof vest and wept profusely while describing how his mother supposedly considered aborting him.

While he conceded that he lost in 2020, he immediately appeared to set up expectations for another run, posting a picture showing himself in front of an election map with the words “WELP Kanye 2024”.

The news comes after the restoration of his Twitter account following the company being taken over by Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

Gustaf Kilander has more.

Twitter reacts to Kanye West announcing 2024 campaign: ‘Can it get any crazier?’

Oath Keepers defender quotes OJ Simpson lawyer in closing arguments

16:50 , Andrew Naughtie

Final arguments are underway in the seditious conspiracy trial of several members of the Oath Keepers militia who participated in the January 6 attack on the US Capitol – and one of the group’s lawyers, Brad Geyer, has pinned his case on a video that he says shows the men on trial actually obstructing rioters from committing further violence against law enforcement.

Bizarrely, he chose to make his case by paraphrasing the most infamous quote from the OJ Simpson trial:

Arizona official forced into hiding by post-election threats

16:20 , Andrew Naughtie

A senior election official in one of Arizona’s most politically important counties has been forced to go into hiding after receiving a string of deaths in the wake of Kari Lake’s defeat.

Bill Gates, who serves as chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, has been taken to an undisclosed location and is being safeguarded by a security detail from the area sheriff’s office.

Mr Gates is an outspoken defender of his county’s electoral practices and integrity, pushing back on frenzied conspiracy theories shared among supporters of Donald Trump and the candidates he endorsed.

Arizona’s elections on 8 November saw top Republicans who falsely claim the 2020 election was “stolen” lose their races by slim margins.

Read more:

Arizona election official forced into hiding amid death threats

Mark Meadows still fighting Georgia subpoena

15:50 , Andrew Naughtie

As a grand jury probe in Fulton County, Georgia continues to investigate the Trump circle’s efforts to pressure state officials into overturning the 2020 election result, former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows is keeping up his efforts to avoid testifying:

Others who have failed to avoid testifying before the grand jury include Lindsey Graham, whose protracted attempt to avoid the probe failed when the US Supreme Court lifted a temporary hold on his scheduled appearance. He will appear before prosecutors tomorrow.

Paul Ryan: Trump will “continue to lose altitude"

15:20 , Andrew Naughtie

Republican former House speaker Paul Ryan, who helmed the lower chamber of Congress between 2015 and 2019, has lately been speaking out against Donald Trump, pointing to his party’s mortifying performance in the midterms as evidence that Mr Trump will either fail to win the 2024 nomination or, if nominated, lose the general election.

In an appearance on ABC News this weekend, he predicted that the ex-president will “continue to lose altitude” as the 2024 field takes shape, with a range of other candidates starting to look more credible as potential winners.

Mr Ryan himself was Mitt Romney’s running mate in 2012.

Watch his remarks below:

MAGA hats and guns: dating on The Right Stuff

14:50 , Andrew Naughtie

From the moment the conservative-only dating app The Right Stuff launched, it’s been the subject of ridicule.

Amusement over the very existence of The Right Stuff only grew after the Apple App Store was inundated with reviews from people claiming to have been contacted by the FBI over their usage of the platform. According to the one-star reviews, authorities reached out regarding the responses users shared to built-in prompts on the platform such as, “January 6th was…”

In a statement to The Independent, a spokesperson for The Right Stuff said it determined reports of FBI contact were false. “Just people trolling,” they added. The FBI declined to comment. But even if you remove the reviews of FBI intervention, the App Store reviews are still far from glowing.

Our own Chelsea Ritchel has this report on what happens when you dive into the deep-red dating pool.

From fish photos to MAGA hats and guns, what it’s like on dating app The Right Stuff

Trump failing to clear 2024 field

14:20 , Andrew Naughtie

Donald Trump’s presidential announcement last week was held under a cloud thanks to his party’s poor showing in the midterm elections, and it was followed by a noticeable lack of euphoria among top Republicans – several of whom still appear to be laying the groundwork for campaigns of their own. This weekend’s meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition saw big names including Nikki Haley, Larry Hogan, Ron DeSantis and Ted Cruz appearing to address a sympathetic crowd.

On the face it of it, their exuberance would indicate that Mr Trump is no longer their party’s undisputed leader – but at the same time, the sheer number of potential competitors could give the former president a route to the 2024 nomination by splitting the vote in too many directions, as happened in 2016.

Read more:

Trump's growing GOP challengers revive fears of 2016 repeat

Catch up: Trump’s Twitter account reinstated

13:50 , Andrew Naughtie

Donald Trump’s Twitter account has been reinstated by Elon Musk after it was banned for nearly two years.

Mr Musk announced on Saturday evening that he would reinstate the former president’s account after it was banned for inciting violence in the wake of the 6 January insurrection, a move that was previously described as permanent.

“The people have spoken,” the new Twitter boss wrote late on Saturday. “Trump will be reinstated.”

The billionaire added “Vox Populi, Vox Dei”, a Latin phrase meaning “the voice of the people is the voice of God”.

Josh Marcus and Maroosha Muzaffar report:

Trump reinstated to Twitter by Elon Musk after two-year ban

Lofgren: Pence and Trump are “cheating history”

13:20 , Andrew Naughtie

January 6 committee member Zoe Lofgren appeared on Face the Nation yesterday to discuss her panel’s plans between now and the start of the next Congress, when the new GOP House majority is highly likely to dissolve the select committee altogether.

As well as promising that the public will have “everything we found” within the next month in the form of a written report and released testimony, Ms Lofgren was unsparing in her assessment of Donald Trump and Mike Pence as both refuse to testify.

“I think they've cheated history,” she said, “and they should have done otherwise. We, on the other hand, have received substantial information from other sources and we're in the process of, as I'm sure you know, writing our report now.”

Watch her remarks below.

AZ Republican puts statehouse majority in jeopardy

12:50 , Andrew Naughtie

Such is the Arizona GOP’s belief that the recent elections in the state were stolen that one state representative is refusing to vote until they are re-run – meaning that her party has an impossibly small margin for legislating in the statehouse:

Presumptive House Democratic leader keeps Trump at arm's length

12:20 , Andrew Naughtie

Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, who is running to succeed Nancy Pelosi as leader of the House Democrats, appeared yesterday on CNN’s State of the Union – and made clear he was uninterested in discussing Elon Musk, Donald Trump, or events involving the two over the weekend:

Read more about Mr Jeffries from Andrew Feinberg.

Democrats line up behind Hakeem Jeffries as next House minority leader

GOP operative: Trump voters don’t want him tweeting

11:50 , Andrew Naughtie

Donald Trump so far shows no sign of wanting to rejoin Twitter, instead focusing on sustaining his profile on Truth Social. But according to Republican-aligned political operative Alex Conant, there is not much demand from Mr Trump’s base – the more normal elements, at least – to have him back on his once-favourite platform:

GOP's lackluster fundraising spurs post-election infighting

11:20 , John Bowden

Republicans are seeking someone to blame after some late-game fundraising issues and poor overall showings in a number of key races across the country led to Joe Biden having the best midterm performance of a sitting president in decades.

Many of the GOP’s candidates in expensive midterm contests were political newcomers with far-right positions who saw themselves outraised by their Democratic opponents. It’s a symptom of the loyalty-above-all standard that Donald Trump used to select candidates for his endorsement this year.

Read more in The Independent:

GOP's lackluster fundraising spurs post-election infighting

GOP sees slight Latino vote gains, painful candidate losses

10:20 , John Bowden

Republicans saw gains with Latino voters during the 2022 midterm cycle — but they were far from enough to overcome the poor performances of Donald Trump’s hand-picked candidates.

Overall, the House will see a net gain of at least eight Latino members, with seven of them being Democrats, according to a tally by the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials.

Read more about how the Latino vote was important to both parties in this month’s midterms:

GOP sees slight Latino vote gains, painful candidate losses

Melania predicts what Trump’s return to White House would look like in three words

09:20 , John Bowden

Despite reports that Melania Trump did not enjoy her four years in the White House, the former first lady is remaining publicly supportive of her husband’s plans to launch a third bid for the presidency.

“I support my husband’s decision to run for president of this wonderful nation,” she told far-right news outlet Breitbart.

And she had a prediction for what a second term for her husband would look like.

Read more:

Melania predicts what Trump’s return to White House would look like in three words

Aspiring country singer charged for threats to kill fact-checkers and FBI agent over Trump ‘slander’

08:20 , John Bowden

A North Carolina MAGA supporter and an aspiring country singer has been charged for allegedly threatening to kill an FBI agent as well as fact-checkers for slandering Donald Trump.

It’s just the latest case of a violent attack being threatened or attempted against federal law enforcement since the ex-president began demonising the agency for its investigation into his hoarding of presidential records.

Read more in The Independent:

MAGA fan charged for threats to kill fact-checkers and FBI agent over Trump ‘slander’

Mike Pence backed away from anti-LGBT figures before five killed in Colorado shooting

07:20 , John Bowden

Former vice president Mike Pence appeared to take a step back from his party’s hard-right wing stand in an interview that was taped just days before the deadly attack at a gay nightclub that has been blamed on a rising tide of anti-LGBT hate.

Mr Pence was interviewed by Margaret Brennan on CBS’s Face the Nation this past week; his remarks were broadcast on Sunday.

During the interview, he was asked about the legislation which was passed by the US Senate this week, seeking to protect the rights of same-sex marriages at the federal level.

Read more in The Independent:

Mike Pence backed away from anti-LGBT figures before five killed in Colorado shooting

Mike Pence: Donald Trump ‘endangered my family'

06:20 , John Bowden

Former Vice President Mike Pence gave a pair of interviews to NBC and CBS, two mainstream broadcast news outlets, this week which both aired on Sunday. They come as he is rumoured to be considering a 2024 bid against his ex-boss, Donald Trump.

Speaking with CBS, he went after Mr Trump in some of his most critical terms for the ex-president’s conduct on January 6.

Watch below:

Kanye West returns to Twitter after Elon Musk lifts bans on Trump and others

05:21 , John Bowden

Rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, is back on Twitter after CEO Elon Musk reversed his ban.

It’s another example of the Twitter CEO choosing the website’s traffic (and his own revenue streams) over marginalised groups — and in this case, Ye’s return was marked with a taunting tweet from the rapper aimed at the Jewish community simply reading “Shalom :)”.

Mr Musk’s volatile reign over Twitter has seen advertisers flee the site and its userbase begin exoduses as he attempts to implement a right-leaning vision and his own impulses on the massively-used platform.

Read more:

Kanye West returns to Twitter after Elon Musk lifts bans on Trump and others

Federal judge strikes down DeSantis-backed ‘Stop WOKE’ law

03:45 , John Bowden

Governor Ron DeSantis and his Florida Republican allies violated the First Amendment when they passed a law banning certain classroom discussions about race and gender in colleges and universities, a federal judge has ruled.

“The law officially bans professors from expressing disfavored viewpoints in university classrooms while permitting unfettered expression of the opposite viewpoints,” he wrote. “Defendants argue that, under this Act, professors enjoy ‘academic freedom’ so long as they express only those viewpoints of which the State approves. This is positively dystopian.”

Read more in The Independent:

Federal judge strikes down ‘positively dystopian’ Florida law on college campuses

Man gets jail for joining Capitol riot after Tinder date

02:45 , John Bowden

A Delaware business owner has been sentenced to 30 days of incarceration for storming the U.S. Capitol after seeing the riot erupt on a Tinder date’s television and taking an Uber ride to join the mob’s attack.

On the eve of then-President Donald Trump's ’Stop the Steal’ rally on Jan 6, the man drove from Delaware to northern Virginia to spend the night at the home of a woman whom he had met on the Tinder online dating app. The next day, he decided to take an Uber ride to the Capitol after seeing the riot unfold on TV at his date's home in Alexandria.

Read more in The Independent:

Man gets jail for joining Capitol riot after Tinder date

Mike Pence calls special counsel’s Trump probe ‘very troubling’ and blames lawyers for Mar-a-Lago papers

01:45 , John Bowden

Mike Pence is continuing his will-he-won’t-he break from Donald Trump, and backing up the president’s explanation for why he had a long list of documents at his Florida residence in defiance of the National Archives — including some that were classified.

At an event in Las Vegas on Friday, Mr Pence told Fox News Digital that the appointment of a special counsel by the Justice Department to determine whether Mr Trump will face charges for this investigation or the probe into January 6 is “very troubling”.

“No one is above the law, but I am not sure it’s against the law to take bad advice from your lawyers,” he told the news outlet.

Read more:

Mike Pence calls special counsel’s Trump probe ‘very troubling’

Trump's growing GOP challengers revive fears of 2016 repeat

00:45 , John Bowden

The list of wannabe 2024 GOP candidates is growing, and it’s leading some to fear that Donald Trump will easily sweep to victory once again over divided opposition.

No fewer than 10 White House prospects stepped onto the stage in Las Vegas this weekend to pitch their plans to fix the nation — and their party.

Read more in The Independent:

Trump's growing GOP challengers revive fears of 2016 repeat

Trump accuses FBI of falsifying statements

Sunday 20 November 2022 23:45 , John Bowden

In one of his many recent unhinged rants of late, the ex-president resumed his criticism of the FBI and the Justice Department. It comes as he remains under at least two criminal investigations.

On Saturday, Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social that “Nobody should ever be interviewed by the FBI without making a recording of the interview. The FBI doesn’t want recorded interviews because that way they can make up statements as to what was said - happens all the time.”

It’s an explosive and baseless accusation that comes after the agency previously warned that Mr Trump’s rhetoric and conspiracies launched in response to his prosecution were causing a dangerous environment for federal officers.

Donald Trump lashes out at Maureen Dowd

Sunday 20 November 2022 22:46 , John Bowden

Donald Trump has unloaded another salvo of attacks aimed at a favourite target of his: Maureen Dowd, the New York Times columnist and author.

On Truth Social, he wrote Sunday: “Maureen Dowd, the super whacko who constantly writes so nastily about me, saying things that if ever said about another person, trouble would ensue. This has been going on for years, even before the Times became a financially failing enterprise. Maureen always wants to be so “juicy,” so why doesn’t she write of her Trump escapes, where she bombed sooo badly - over and over again. “Have you no shame?” I once asked her. She’s a sick & angry person, perhaps mentally disturbed. Give it up, Maureen!”

The post appears to be in response to her latest column, dubbed: “Trump, Macho Macho Victim”.

Pelosi takes subtle dig at Donald Trump in leadership farewell speech

Sunday 20 November 2022 21:45 , John Bowden

Nancy Pelosi made a subtle anti-reference to Donald Trump during her speech to Congress on Thursday announcing her plans to step down from Democratic leadership.

The rebuke of the former president was potentially missed by the chamber’s Republicans, however, given that most of them skipped her speech altogether.

Read more in The Independent:

Pelosi takes subtle dig at Donald Trump in leadership farewell speech

Trump reacts angrily to special counsel move

Sunday 20 November 2022 20:55 , John Bowden

Donald Trump and his legal team are furious with the Justice Department’s move to appoint a special counsel to determine whether the ex-president will face criminal charges as a result of two investigations that currently surround his conduct.

Apparently upset that the DoJ did not back down from prosecuting him with his announcement of a 2024 campaign, the ex-president is stepping up his rhetoric against the agency.

“I have been going through this for six years — for six years I have been going through this, and I am not going to go through it anymore,” Mr Trump told Fox News Digital on Friday after the counsel was revealed. “And I hope the Republicans have the courage to fight this.”

Read more:

Trump hoping to use special counsel to ‘muddy waters’, report says

Trump special counsel: What is being investigated and what is the time scale?

Sunday 20 November 2022 19:45 , John Bowden

Who is Jack Smith, the man appointed by Merrick Garland to determine whether Donald Trump will face federal criminal charges?

The appointment of Mr Smith also comes three days after Mr Trump announced that he would again seek the presidency in 2024.

Here’s what we know about what the special counsel will investigate, with The Independent’s Eric Garcia:

Trump special counsel: What is being investigated and what is the time scale?

Lauren Boebert condemned for response to Colorado Springs shooting

Sunday 20 November 2022 18:46 , John Bowden

A conservative Colorado congresswoman faced blowback for her statement of concern in response to the shooting at a gay nightclub in the state when Twitter users accused her of trafficking in the same hate that has been blamed for the attack.

Lauren Boebert tweeted after a shooting overnight at Club Q in Colorado Springs that “the news out of Colorado Springs is absolutely awful. This morning the victims & their families are in my prayers. This lawless violence needs to end and end quickly”.

But her remarks fell on deaf ears.

Read more from John Bowden in The Independent:

Lauren Boebert condemned for response to Colorado Springs shooting

Trump Twitter account remains silent after restoration

Sunday 20 November 2022 17:47 , John Bowden

Donald Trump’s Twitter account did not roar back to life as many of his supporters had hoped this weekend after Elon Musk moved to unban the ex-president from the platform.

Instead, the president’s last post from before his ban — announcing that he would not attend Joe Biden’s inauguration — continued to garner more retweets and comments as it became a means of spreading the news of Trump’s unban. Other, older Trump tweets also saw a resurgence.

Ex-CFO says Trump kids raised pay after learning of scheme

Sunday 20 November 2022 16:00 , John Bowden

The embattled former chief financial officer of the Trump Organization, Allen Weisselberg, testified on Friday that Donald Trump’s adult son Eric Trump raised Mr Weisselberg’s pay after learning about a scheme to dodge federal taxes by paying employees off the books via lucrative perks.

He testified that Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., both executive vice presidents at the Trump Organization, knew from the audit that Weisselberg had not reported his company-paid apartment as taxable income, as required by law.

Donald Trump, meanwhile, had derided Mr Weisselberg’s treatment by the government as “VERY UNFAIR!” on Truth Social just a day earlier.

Read more about the Trump Organization’s ongoing tax fraud trial:

Ex-CFO says Trump kids raised pay after learning of scheme

There’s only one word to describe a Trump second term

Sunday 20 November 2022 15:21 , John Bowden

A second term for Donald Trump would be “stormy”, writes Kim Sengupta in The Independent.

“One can imagine how a bitter and vengeful, twice-impeached president would go after his domestic enemies, including those in the Republican party, law-enforcement agencies, the military high-command, the judiciary, the media and more.”

Read more:

There’s only one word to describe a Trump second term | Kim Sengupta

Mike Pence calls special counsel’s Trump probe ‘very troubling’ and blames lawyers for Mar-a-Lago papers

Sunday 20 November 2022 14:00 , Alex Woodward

Former Vice President Mike Pence said that the appointment of a special counsel to lead criminal investigations into the former president is “very troubling”.

“No one is above the law, but I am not sure it’s against the law to take bad advice from your lawyers,” he added.

The former president’s legal team has claimed that Mr Trump’s possession of White House records seized from his Mar-a-Lago estate were designated “personal” by virtue of their removal from the White House, a claim roundly rejected by federal prosecutors.

Mike Pence calls special counsel’s Trump probe ‘very troubling’

Election deniers overwhelmingly failed in 2022. The people who beat them are bracing for 2024

Sunday 20 November 2022 13:00 , Alex Woodward

In critical races for the top statewide offices in battlegrounds that Trump lost in 2020, voters overwhelmingly rejected candidates who amplified his bogus narrative that the election was stolen from him, or marred by Democratic fraud or malfeasance, and pledged antidemocratic agendas that would upend the electoral process to ensure GOP victories.

That movement failed to gain any significant ground, with victories in fewer than one in six races across the US in roles that oversee election administration, including governor, secretary of state and attorney general – roles that will be critical in 2024 elections.

Election deniers overwhelmingly failed in 2022. The threat isn’t over

ICYMI: GOP megadonor splits with Trump: Time for ‘new generation of leaders’

Sunday 20 November 2022 12:00 , Alex Woodward

An influential conservative donor will not support Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign, a stance that shows just how deep the fractures within the GOP may run after midterm elections, The Independent’s John Bowden reports.

GOP megadonor splits with Trump: Time for ‘new generation of leaders’

ICYMI: Trump sees ‘no reason’ to get back on Twitter

Sunday 20 November 2022 11:00 , Alex Woodward

 (AFP via Getty Images)
(AFP via Getty Images)

Appearing over video at a Republican Jewish Coalition event in Las Vegas on Saturday, the former president had kind words for Twitter’s new owner Elon Musk, who ran a Twitter poll to see whether Trump should be allowed back on the platform that booted him “due to the risk of further incitement of violence” in the wake of the Capitol attack.

He founded a competing platform, Truth Social, under his Trump Media & Technology Group after leaving office.

Mr Trump claimed that his platform is doing “phenomenally well” and that “engagement is much better than it is with Twitter.”“I’ll be staying there,” he said. “But I hear we’re getting a big vote to also go back on Twitter. I don’t see it, because I don’t see any reason for it.”

Nancy Pelosi makes a subtle dig at Donald Trump in her leadership farewell speech

Sunday 20 November 2022 10:00 , Alex Woodward

Outgoing House speaker Nancy Pelosi said she “enjoyed working with three presidents” during her time in Congress.

She highlighted her work on investing in clean energy with President George Bush, passing the Affordable Care Act alongside President Barack Obama, and taking action on infrastructure, health care, and the climate crisis with President Joe Biden.

One president was notably missing from the lineup.

Pelosi takes subtle dig at Donald Trump in leadership farewell speech

Hakeem Jeffries officially declares candidacy to succeed Nancy Pelosi as House Democratic leader

Sunday 20 November 2022 09:00 , Alex Woodward

Democratic Caucus chair and New York congressman Hakeem Jeffries was widely expected to make a run for Democratic leader following Nancy Pelosi’s departure.

He made it officials last week, with leadership elections scheduled for 30 November.

Hakeem Jeffries declares candidacy to replace Nancy Pelosi as House Democratic leader

Nancy Pelosi: The most powerful woman in American politics. Period.

Sunday 20 November 2022 08:00 , Alex Woodward

On 17 November, House Spaker Nancy Pelosi announced that she would step down from her post as Democratic leader, after Republicans secured a slim majority of seats in the chamber.

The Independent’s Andrew Feinberg looks back on her legacy in Congress:

Nancy Pelosi: The most powerful woman in American politics. Period.

Republicans rejoice Trump’s Twitter reinstatement

Sunday 20 November 2022 07:14 , Maroosha Muzaffar

After the former president’s account on Twitter was reinstated, Republicans are rejoicing even as Donald Trump has snubbed the social media platform.

"Welcome back, @realDonaldTrump!" an account for Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee wrote on Twitter. The congressional panel, which is controlled by Democrats, was responsible for launching impeachment proceedings against the former president.

US Representative, Troy Nehls [R-Texas] shared the news on Twitter and wrote: “2023 is going to be great. 2024 will be better.”

Paul Gosar, a republican from Arizona also welcomed Mr Trump back to the platform and wrote: “He’s back.”

ICYMI: Trump revealed to have tweeted classified image from spy satellite

Sunday 20 November 2022 06:15 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Three years after he disseminated a highly classified satellite photograph depicting the site of a failed Iranian rocket launch, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency has formally declassified the image Donald Trump once distributed to his roughly 80 million Twitter followers.

According to NPR, the NGA declassified the image after a “grueling Pentagon-wide review to determine whether the briefing slide it came from could be shared with the public” in response to a Freedom of Information Act request from the radio network.

Read the full story here:

Trump revealed to have tweeted classified image from spy satellite

‘Mitch McConnell is to blame for Republicans’ flop in the Senate, but not for the reasons conservatives think'

Sunday 20 November 2022 06:00 , Alex Woodward

The Independent’s Eric Garcia writes: “Conservatives are calling for his head for not supporting ‘ultra-MAGA’ candidates. But he blew their chances by confirming the judges who killed Roe v Wade.”

McConnell’s to blame for midterms flop – but not for the reasons conservatives think

Mary Trump warns ‘much worse things’ will happen if Trump indictment decision not made before 2024 announcement

Sunday 20 November 2022 05:00 , Alex Woodward

Mary Trump, the former president’s niece, has warned that the clock is ticking for the US Department of Justice and Attorney General Merrick Garland to decide on whether to indict her uncle following midterm elections.

Mary Trump warns DoJ must decide on Trump indictment before 2024 run

Trump reinstated on Twitter by Elon Musk after two-year ban

Sunday 20 November 2022 04:02 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Donald Trump’s Twitter account has been reinstated by Elon Musk after it was banned for nearly two years.

Mr Musk announced on Saturday evening that he would reinstate the former president’s account after it was banned for inciting violence in the wake of the Jan 6 insurrection, a move that was previously described as permanent.

“The people have spoken,” the new Twitter boss wrote late on Saturday. “Trump will be reinstated.”

Read the full story here:

Trump reinstated on Twitter by Elon Musk after two-year ban

A guide to the investigations facing Donald Trump

Sunday 20 November 2022 04:00 , Alex Woodward

The former president is under several congressional, civil and criminal investigations, which range from his business interests and allegations of tax fraud to his efforts to undermine the 2020 presidential election.

Jan 6, Mar-a-Lago and a golf course: The investigations Donald Trump is facing

It’s ‘increasingly likely’ Trump will face criminal charges, Bill Barr says

Sunday 20 November 2022 02:00 , Alex Woodward

Trump’s former attorney general Bill Barr says it looks “increasingly likely” that Donald Trump will be “legitimately” indicted on criminal charges by the US Department of Justice.

Bill Barr says ‘increasingly likely’ Trump will be ‘legitimately’ indicted

Trump to be reinstated on Twitter after two-year ban, Elon Musk announces

Sunday 20 November 2022 01:58 , Josh Marcus

Elon Musk announced on Saturday evening he will reinstate Donald Trump’s Twitter account, after a nearly two-year ban that was previously described as permanent.

“The people have spoken,” the new Twitter boss wrote on Saturday. “Trump will be reinstated.”

The billionaire added, “Vox Populi, Vox Dei,” a Latin phrase meaning “the voice of the people is the voice of God.”

The Independent has contacted Twitter for further comment on the decision, and whether it marks a change to the company’s user guidelines or ban process.

Josh Marcus has the full story.

Trump Twitter ban overturned by Elon Musk

House Republicans announce investigations into Biden family after winning slim majority

Sunday 20 November 2022 01:00 , Alex Woodward

Hours after Republican representatives were projected to win a slim majority in the House of Representatives, GOP lawmakers reviewed a swathe of planned investigations into President Biden and his family.

House Republicans made a number of claims, including that the president is connected to his son’s business dealings in as many as 50 countries.

House Republicans announce investigations into Biden family after winning majority

Anti-abortion group that helped overturn Roe v Wade sues FDA to revoke approval of abortion drug

Sunday 20 November 2022 00:00 , Alex Woodward

A right-wing group that has supported anti-abortion litigation across the US, including the landmark Supreme Court case that overturned Roe v Wade, is suing the Food and Drug Administration to reverse its approval of a commonly used abortion drug.

Mifepristone is used in medication abortion, a procedure that accounts for a majority of abortions in the US. It is also commonly used to treat miscarriages.

Anti-abortion group that helped overturn Roe v Wade sues FDA over abortion drug