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Donald Trump was called out for his “totally inappropriate” tweets by the judge presiding over Roger Stone’s trial as she handed down a 40-month sentence for the president’s longtime friend, saying his crimes should cause universal “dismay and disgust”.
The comments came just before he took to the stage in Colorado Springs for a "Keep America Great Again" rally, as a part of a string of events he is doing this week across the country.
Colorado stands out as an important battleground state this year, with the Republican Senate majority potentially on the line as GOP senator Cory Gardner faces stiff competition in his reelection campaign.
The president has meanwhile been live-tweeting attacks towards his Democratic 2020 rivals after the latest debates, as well as deriding them on the campaign trail in at an Arizona rally where he also called the FBI “dishonest scum” and complained that Conan, the US military’s war hero dog, “got more publicity” than him over the killing of Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Mr Trump’s rally coincided with the latest primary debate in Las Vegas, Nevada, where Michael Bloomberg was attacked from all sides, with Elizabeth Warren characterising him as a “a billionaire who calls women fat broads and horse-faced lesbians”.
Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves
Roger Stone, one of President Trump's staunchest allies, has arrived in federal court in Washington, DC, for sentencing.
He was met outside the court by a group of onlookers, some of whom heckled him, with shouts of “Traitor!”
Wearing his trademark sunglasses and a fedora, Mr Stone walked past a giant inflatable rat — a common prop in street protests — and a sign calling for his pardon as he arrived at the courthouse.
Judge Amy Berman Jackson reportedly paused today's opening remarks in Roger Stone's sentencing hearing to tell those in the court room to take off their sunglasses (*cough* Stone *cough*)
Judge Amy Berman Jackson reportedly told the courtroom during Roger Stone's sentencing: "For those of you who are new to this ... and became persuaded that the guidelines were harsh, I can assure you that defense attorneys and many judges have been making that point ... But we don't usually succeed in getting the gov't to agree."
While the judge presiding over Roger Stone's sentencing has agreed to take up a motion for a new trial after sentencing, she also said the original sentencing guidelines had not been withdrawn before prosecutors from the Justice Department resigned in protest over Attorney General William Barr's intervention in the case.
It reportedly appears the new prosecutors appointed to the case are rebelling against Attorney General William Barr, asking for enhancement to Roger Stone’s sentencing and saying his obstructive behaviour in the case was “extensive in scope”, though the judge ruled against that.
She is now reading through the sentencing guidelines.
Interesting exchange between Judge Jackson and the new Justice Department prosecutors who have taken over the Roger Stone case after the previous ones resigned in protest following Attorney General WIlliam Barr's intervention in the sentencing -
Prosecutors tell the judge the original sentencing opinion offered by prosecutors was "done in good faith" and added: "The Department of Justice and the United States States Attorney's Office is committed to following the law without fear favor or political influence."
Roger Stone declines an offer to address the court, which the judge reportedly notes may be due to his plans to appeal. His defence attorneys argued "the process" surrounding his case "has already been the punishment".
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