Trump’s election win certified by Congress as he fights onto stop hush-money sentencing before inauguration
President-elect tries to stave off hush money conviction sentencing as Congress meets to formally recognize his November victory over Kamala Harris, four years on from attempted insurrection by his supporters
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Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump‘s 2024 election win over Kamala Harris was certified in a joint session of Congress Monday in just 28 minutes with Vice President Kamala Harris presiding over the process and formalizing her own defeat as the roll-call of Electoral College votes by states was read out.
A senior adviser told CNN that the president-elect would watch the certification with a mindset of “pure vindication.”
Monday marked the fourth anniversary of the Capitol riot of January 6, 2021, in which supporters of Trump stormed Congress before then-vice president Mike Pence presided over the same, though delayed, session.
Meanwhile, Trump fought on to stave off the sentencing for his criminal hush-money case conviction, currently scheduled for January 10, just ten days before his inauguration and the start of this second term in the White House.
Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan on Monday rejected a motion by Trump’s legal team to stay the scheduled sentencing date, demanding “this meritless hoax be immediately dismissed.” Merchan noted there was nothing new in the argument that he hadn’t already previously dismissed.
The former president has separately sued the judge in a state appeals court, claiming that the judge overstepped his jurisdiction when he denied Trump’s presidential “immunity” defense by allowing the sentencing date to move forward without a decision from appellate judges.
Finally, President Joe Biden has moved to ban new offshore oil and gas development along most US coastlines, a decision that Trump, who vowed to boost domestic energy production, may find difficult to reverse. The president-elect has accused Biden of complicating the transition process.
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Musk gets good news a day after Italian PM visits Trump as Rome announces potential $1.6bn SpaceX deal
Biden set to give two final speeches as he looks to secure legacy before Trump’s return
Watch: Schumer says pardoning Jan 6 rioters would set terrible example for future of America
New York Senator Chuck Schumer says: “To those who used violence and intimidation to hurt our government, particularly to those who threatened police officers, pardoning them would set a terrible example for the future in America...that it was okay, that it was forgivable to do this.”
Flashback: Surrounded by men dressed for war, I saw Trump’s fascism at the heart of American democracy
The Independent’s Richard Hall was at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. Here he reports on what he saw as Trump supporters stormed the building.
Surrounded by men dressed for war, I saw Trump’s fascism at the heart of American democracy
Richard Hall was there as a violent mob stormed the US Capitol building
Susie Wiles expects no ‘drama’ in the West Wing
Donald Trump’s incoming chief of staff Susie Wiles plans to take a no-nonsense unified approach to running the West Wing of the White House to prevent the mistakes of her boss’s first administration from plaguing his second.
Wiles, 67, is sometimes referred to as the “ice maiden” – a nickname Trump bestowed upon her due to her cool composition and ability to wrangle Trumpworld into an organized fashion. She exercised that attitude in an exclusive interview with Axios about her plans for the White House.
Ariana Baio reports.
Susie Wiles expects no ‘drama’ in the West Wing when she takes over as chief of staff
Wiles, 67, has reportedly received the nickname ‘ice maiden’ from Donald Trump and served as his campaign co-chair in 2024
Elon Musk gets good news a day after Italian PM visits Trump
A deal that would see Elon Musk’s SpaceX take over secure communications for the Italian government is reportedly back on track and nearing final approval after Italy’s prime minister met with Donald Trump this weekend.
Bloomberg reports that the burgeoning agreement “appeared to move forward” after right-wing prime minister Giorgia Meloni met with Donald Trump on Saturday at Mar-a-Lago, where the incoming president continues to hold court ahead of his inauguration.
John Bowden has the story.
Musk gets good news a day after Italian PM visits Trump
Ongoing talks ‘appeared to move forward’ after meeting, according to reports
Kinzinger mocks GOP lawmakers who changed their tune on Jan. 6 attack
Former GOP Representative Adam Kinzinger has mocked Republican lawmakers who changed their tune on the January 6 Capitol attack by reposting statements they made four years ago.
Kinzinger, a former Illinois congressman who campaigned for Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, hit out at Republicans who have backpedaled on their criticism of President-elect Donald Trump and the violent events of that day in 2021.
Rhian Lubin reports.
Adam Kinzinger mocks Republican lawmakers who changed their tune on Jan. 6 attack
The former Illinois congressman hit out at Republicans who have backpedaled on their positions since 2021
Melania documentary to be screened by Amazon
Incoming first lady Melania Trump will be the subject of a new documentary directed by Brett Ratner and distributed by Amazon Prime Video. The streaming arm of the tech giant got exclusive licensing rights for a streaming and theatrical release later this year, the company said Sunday.
Lindsey Bahr has the details.
Melania documentary to be screened by Amazon in latest Trump Bezos connection
Incoming first lady will be the subject of new film directed by Brett Ratner
Watch: Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary says he has plan to buy TikTok as ban approaches
Businessman Kevin O’Leary, best known to most people as one of the Shark Tank panel, told Fox News this afternoon that he has a plan to buy TikTok before a US ban kicks in and that he has spoken with Donald Trump about the deal.
He told Martha MacCallum of Fox News: “I have joined with Frank Mccourt to buy TikTok, it's a multibillion-dollar deal… I wanted to let him know as well as others in his cabinet that we’re doing this... we’re going to need their help.”
O’Leary, who is Canadian, also spoke with Trump about integrating Canada into a North American Union.
‘Kids will get killed’: Democratic senator blasts RFK Jr’s vaccine theories
Robert F Kennedy Jr is facing a predictably skeptical reception from senators on Capitol Hill as he pursues a bid to become the next Health secretary for incoming president Donald Trump.
His long history of comments and activism against vaccines — which he falsely blames for causing autism in children — has earned him ideological foes among Democrats and Republicans alike.
John Bowden reports.
Democratic senator blasts RFK Jr ahead of hearings: ‘Kids will get killed’
Conspiracy theorist’s anti-vax stance has many fearing effects of him leading HHS
BREAKING: Giuliani found in contempt of court for failing to hand over assets to election workers he defamed
Rudy Giuliani has been found in contempt of court after repeatedly defying court orders to hand over his property to satisfy tens of millions of dollars he owes a pair of election workers he defamed in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election.
A two-day contempt hearing in federal court in Manhattan sought to determine whether the former New York City mayor had willfully evaded court orders and discovery requests in the lengthy legal battle for control of his assets.
Alex Woodward reports from the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse in Lower Manhattan.
Watch: Trump appears to not want to move on from Jan 6, says former Capitol Police officer
Former Capitol police officer Harry Dunn tells CNN: “Mike Lawler who just said he wants to move on from January 6...We would love nothing more than to move on. Donald Trump, however, appears not to want to move on. He brings it up every single time he gets the opportunity.”
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