Trump takes credit for Joe Manchin’s retirement announcement – live

Taking to Truth Social on Tuesday night, Mr Trump once again lashed out at “corrupt” New York Attorney General Letitia James and “Trump hating” Judge Arthur Engoron as he said that calling his daughter to the stand is “sad”.

Special Counsel Jack Smith has asked a federal judge in Washington DC to reject Donald Trump’s efforts to strike “inflammatory” descriptions of January 6 from the criminal indictment against him, saying Mr Trump is “responsible for the events at the Capitol” thus the statements are relevant.

The main focus on Donald Trump’s myriad of legal woes shifted to Lower Manhattan in October as his civil fraud case came to trial at New York state’s Supreme Court.

New York Attorney General Letitia James brought the case against the Trump Organization and maintains that between 2011 and 2021 the company falsified financial statements regarding the development of several real estate projects and artificially inflated Mr Trump’s net worth in order to get better financing terms from banks and insurance companies.

This was done by over-stating valuations of the former president’s most prestigious holdings including his triplex penthouse at Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan and his current home at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida.

As the prosecution’s case draws to a close, three of his adult children are taking the stand to testify under oath, which begs the question: how are they wrapped up in all this and why is their testimony important at the trial?

Donald Trump falsely claimed that an episode of 60 Minutes and a recent federal law clarifying the electoral process backed up his unprecedented theory that former vice-president Mike Pence had the power to stop or overturn the counting of the 2020 election results.

Refering to the December 2022 Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act, which was mentioned on a recent 60 Minutes broadcast, Mr Trump argued on Truth Social, “The fact that they had to CLARIFY THE LAW means that there was UNCERTAINTY, which means that it was open to INTERPRETATION. It could have been done!”

Legal scholars dispute this interpretation.

She made the comments on Monday.

New York Attorney General Letitia James is spearheading the former president’s civil trial. She has accused Mr Trump and the Trump Organization of inflating the value of his assets in order to secure better loans, and then devaluing his asset cost to avoid paying taxes. A judge already found Mr Trump liable for fraud, which may end with the further dismantling of his businesses in New York.

Ms Habba appeared on Newsmax on Monday to assure the network’s viewers that Ms James does not have a case against Mr Trump.

“She’s just not that bright. I’m sorry, I have to say it,” Ms Habba said. “I’ve seen their case; I’ve seen their lawyers. They don’t know what they’re talking about.”

President Joe Biden joked about his recent falls during a speech to auto workers in Illinois.

As there was a crash heard in the audience, Mr Biden shared a self-deprecating quip, saying “I want the press to know that wasn’t me,” seemingly in reference to the widespread reporting of his recent tumbles.

It was the first visit to the northern Illinois Stateline area by a sitting US president since Ronald Reagan visited his hometown Dixon to mark his 73rd birthday in February 1984.

Gustaf Kilander has the story.

As much as he may have irritated Democrats, they realised they had to tolerate Mr Manchin because he had proven to be the only Democrat who could win in West Virginia. In one of his ads when he first ran for Senate in 2010, he shot a proposed cap and trade bill to curb climate change with a rifle and touted his support from the National Rifle Association.

Democrats hoped that pleasing him could convince Mr Manchin to seek re-election in a state where Donald Trump won every county, since they faced a tough map where they would be defending eight swing-state seats. But Mr Manchin remained purse-lipped about his plans.

When I asked whether Gov Andy Beshear’s victory in Kentucky, a neighbouring heavily working-class white Appalachian state similar to West Virginia, would impact his decision, he said flashed a grin and said, “Nothing impacts my decision except my family.”

President Joe Biden’s speech to union workers in northern Illinois was interrupted by a protester calling on him to push for a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas.

Mr Biden joined members of the United Auto Workers union, saying that he sees “the future here in Belvidere” just east of Rockford, adding that the Stellantis auto plant is the “beating heart of the community” as it reopened following the union striking a deal with the automakers.

“President Biden, you need to call for a ceasefire in Gaza,” a protester yelled during Mr Biden’s speech, but she was soon drowned out by the auto workers chanting “we love Joe”.

As Israel is fighting a war against Hamas, former President Donald Trump suggested that the country is losing a separate conflict – a battle of public relations.

“I think Israel has to do a better job of public relations, frankly, because the other side is beating them at the public relations front,” Mr Trump said in an interview with Univision, obtained by Semafor.

The former president previously bashed Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying he “was not prepared” for the Hamas attack on 7 October, in which hundreds of people were kidnapped and more than 1,000 were killed. He also said Mr Netanyahu “let us down” before the killing of Iranian Gen Qassem Soleimani in 2020.

In the latest interview, Mr Trump refined his take, calling the Israeli leader “strong.”

Kelly Rissman has the details.