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A day before the deadline to pay his 464m bond, Donald Trump has claimed that he has nearly $500m “in cash” despite his own attorneys telling a New York court that he can’t come up with the money.
Mr Trump has repeatedly claimed that he is worth several billions of dollars, with much of that value tied up in the Trump Organization and his brand-building real estate holdings.
Before the Monday, 25 March deadline to post the mammoth bond, the former president declared in an all-caps post on his Truth Social social media platform that he obtained “almost” $500m “through hard work, talent and luck.”
That “substantial amount” was intended for his presidential campaign, he said on Friday.
New York Attorney General Letitia James is preparing to seize Mr Trump’s assets if he is unable to come up with the $464m bond in his Manhattan fraud trial.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s Truth Social platform, launched in the volatile aftermath of the January 6 attack, is headed for Wall Street as shareholders of his social media platform have voted to take the company public.
Key Points
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Who will be Trump’s running mate?
With the Republican National Committee (RNC) nomination all but formally secured for Donald Trump, all eyes are on who the former president will choose as his running mate in pursuit of the White House.
Already, rumours are swirling about Mr Trump’s short list of potential options – nearly all of which are people who have backed Mr Trump and denounced the 2020 election results, despite widespread evidence that it was not stolen.
It is unclear when Mr Trump will announce his decision, but he revealed Mike Pence as his running mate in July 2016, before the RNC held its annual convention.
Here are the potential options:
Ariana Baio25 March 2024 04:45
Jan 6: NCIS actor charged over Capitol riot
An actor who has appeared in the likes of NCIS and The Rookie has been arrested for allegedly taking part in the January 6 riot at the US Capitol.
Nolan Freeman spent around 28 minutes inside the Capitol, after entering through a broken window alongside other Donald Trump supporters that day, according to a charging document revealed by Politico.
Mr Freeman was tracked down as part of an FBI investigation into all those supporters of the former president involved in the riot, seeking to overturn the 2020 election results.
Oliver O’Connell25 March 2024 02:45
‘Prison and jumpsuits’: Lev Parnas predicts what’s on the horizon for ex-allies Trump and Giuliani
“Prison and jumpsuits,” he said. “They will be cellmates for the rest of their lives.”
Oliver O’Connell25 March 2024 00:45
As rumours abound about a possible VP pick, here’s Trump and Rubio’s history of spats
The Florida Senator suggested on Thursday that he and the former president had buried the hatchet, appearing open to the opportunity to serve as Mr Trump’s number two, should he be elected.
Oliver O’Connell24 March 2024 23:45
Trump lashes out as clock runs down on his $464m bond payment
Oliver O’Connell24 March 2024 22:45
‘Grifter’ Trump will lean on the RNC for his legal bills
Despite promises that the Republican National Committee would not be paying Donald Trump’s long list of legal bills, the GOP’s chief fundraising arm appears ready to do just that.
An invitation to a fundraiser in Palm Beach, Florida next month shows that the Save America political action committee – largely serving as the bank for the former president’s legal team – will get a big chunk of the proceeds.
Oliver O’Connell24 March 2024 21:45
Trump attacks Fox News over NY AG coverage
The former president wrote this afternoon:
Don’t Like the way FoxNews is reporting the Letitia James Election Interference Scam. They don’t want to discuss how ridiculous the Corrupt Judge’s fine of 450 Million Dollars is. It should be $ZERO. The only fraud was the valuation of Mar-a-Lago at $18,000,000 by the Crooked Judge in order to help his already fully debunked narrative. They should pay me damages for what they have done, and ultimately will. THESE ARE NOT THE PEOPLE THAT MADE AMERICA GREAT, THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE DESTROYING AMERICA!
Oliver O’Connell24 March 2024 21:28
Watch: Eric Trump says request for $500m bond met with laughter
Oliver O’Connell24 March 2024 21:04
Biden and Trump win Louisiana’s presidential primary
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump won Louisiana’s primary on Saturday, collecting more delegates after they already clinched their party nominations.
Biden also appeared in Missouri’s Democratic primary, with results not expected to be reported until next week.
None of the races were in suspense. Biden and Trump have already beaten their major competitors. But the primary races are still closely watched by insiders for turnout and signs of protest voters.
For Biden, some liberals are registering their anger with Israel’s war against Hamas following the militant group’s Oct. 7 attack. More than 30,000 people, two-thirds of them women and children, have been reported killed by Gaza authorities since Israel launched its offensive. A protest movement launched by Arab American communities in Michigan has spread to several other states.
Trump is his party’s dominant figure and has locked up a third straight Republican nomination. But he faces dissent from people worried about the immense legal jeopardy he faces or critical of his White House term, which ended shortly after the Jan. 6 insurrection mounted by his supporters and fueled by his false theories of election fraud.
Saturday’s primary was the Missouri Democratic Party’s first party-run presidential contest since a new law took effect in August 2022. Louisiana’s primaries, meanwhile, come almost four years after the state was the first to postpone its primaries due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trump Tower has seen it all…
…but might it now fall into the hands of one of Trump’s staunch enemies?
Joe Sommerlad takes a look at the storied building:
Oliver O’Connell24 March 2024 19:45