Trump news: President rebuked by judge for 'totally inappropriate' tweets as Roger Stone met with ‘Lock Him Up’ chants following sentencing
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Your support makes all the difference.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”.
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The judge reportedly appears set to sentence Roger Stone to six or seven years in jail. She has provided the court a 10 to 15 minute recess.
Roger Stone’s defence team has argued the 67-year-old was unlikely to engage in recidivism and cared deeply about animals. His attorneys also told the court he was about to become a great-grandfather and served as a mentor to many people, according to reports watching the sentencing hearing play out.
Judge Jackson resumes the sentencing hearing for Roger Stone, telling the court: "Unsurprisingly, I have a lot to say."
Judge Jackson undermines the claim that Roger Stone was prosecuted by political enemies, reportedly telling the court he "characteristically injected himself smack in the middle of" numerous election controversies and lied to Congress about his actions.
Judge Jackson says about Roger Stone's alleged communications with Wikileaks founder Julian Assange: "Whether or not Stone was ever actually in communication with Assange, he understood full well that it could reflect badly on the President."
"I am not passing judgement on Roger Stone as a man," Judge Jackson tells the court after Stone's defence claims he is a mentor and cares about animals. "That falls to a higher authority...It falls to me to sentence him just for the conduct for which he was found guilty by a jury."
"This case did not arise because Roger Stone was being pursued by his political enemies," Judge Jackson tells the court. "It arose because Roger Stone characteristically injected himself smack into the middle of one of the most significant issues of the day."
Judge Jackson has told the courtroom that even six or seven years of jail time for Roger Stone may be too much, and that seven to nine years "would be greater than necessary".
Judge Jackson slams Donald Trump's tweets about Roger Stone, calling the president's comments "totally inappropriate" but adding that she won't hold Stone accountable over Mr Trump's actions.
Breaking news: Roger Stone has been sentenced to 40 months in jail.
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