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Stormy Daniels news – latest: Adult star tells Piers Morgan of ‘suicide bomber’ threats

Oliver O'Connell
·43-min read

Piers Morgan’s interview with adult film star Stormy Daniels on TalkTV in the UK has wrapped up with Daniels advising Donald Trump to tell the truth.

The presenter said his conversation with Daniels on Piers Morgan Uncensored, was “one of the best interviews [he’s] ever done”. She revealed she feels sorry for Mr Trump, gets suicide bomb-style threats, and would rather go to jail than pay him money connected to their defamation case.

Originally scheduled for last week, the interview was postponed at the last minute due to “security reasons”.

Daniels made headlines in 2018 when she came forward with an allegation that she had been in a romantic extramarital relationship with the president in 2006, and had been threatened and later bribed to stay quiet.

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The former president was arrested this week as part of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s grand jury investigation into a $130,000 hush money payment he is accused of making to Daniels 2016 via his then-lawyer Michael Cohen, in exchange for her silence.

Mr Trump has denied the accusations and insisted the money was paid to Mr Cohen to cover unrelated legal expenses.

Key Points

Report: Security aides tell special counsel Trump repeatedly warned he couldn’t seize voting machines

22:23 , Oliver O'Connell

Ex-national security officials have reportedly told prosecutors and a grand jury that they told former President Donald Trump on several occasions that he wasn’t allowed to seize voting machines after the 2020 election.

Former top Homeland Security official Ken Cuccinelli was asked about discussions within the Trump administration regarding the agency taking control of voting machines when he spoke in front of the grand jury previously this year, CNN reported on Thursday.

Mr Cuccinelli told the jury that he “made clear at all times” that DHS couldn’t take measures like that, one person told the outlet.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

Trump was repeatedly warned he couldn’t seize voting machines: report

‘Biggest Moron of them all’: Trump responds to review of Afghanistan withdrawal by namecalling Biden

22:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Former President Donald Trump has responded to reports that orders given by him in the waning days of his administration left President Joe Biden “severely constrained” in how he handled the US withdrawal from Afghanistan after two decades of war, according to an interagency review of the disastrous exit.

Mr Trump posted to Truth Social:

These Morons in the White House, who are systematically destroying our Country, headed up by the biggest Moron of them all, Hopeless Joe Biden, have a new disinformation game they are playing - Blame “TRUMP” for their grossly incompetent SURRENDER in Afghanistan. I watched this disaster unfold just like everyone else. I saw them take out the Military FIRST, GIVE $85 Billion of military equipment, allow killing of our soldiers, and leave Americans behind. Biden is responsible, no one else!

Read our full report here:

Afghanistan withdrawal ‘severely constrained by conditions’ set by Trump, review says

Daniels didn’t pop champagne at Trump indictment news

21:55 , Oliver O'Connell

“I wasn’t actually drinking champagne - I’m not allowed to drink champagne, I get white girl wasted.”

Daniels on Trump: ‘In a way, I do feel sorry for him’

21:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Stormy Daniels shares her feelings about Donald Trump: “I don’t hate him... in a way, I do feel sorry for him.”

Scaramucci likens Trump to Succession’s Logan Roy

21:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Anthony Scaramucci has likened his former boss Donald Trump to the volatile billionaire character Logan Roy from HBO’s Succession and claimed they were both “family guys.”

Mr Scaramuci, who was the former president’s White House press secretary for just 10 days, told MSNBC that he could see similarities with the fictional businessman.

Graeme Massie has the story.

Anthony Scaramucci likens Trump to Succession’s Logan Roy

21:31 , Oliver O'Connell

Wrapping up the interview Daniels says she does not hate Trump.

Asked if she has any advice for him she says: “Tell the truth.”

21:22 , Oliver O'Connell

Asked about her knowledge of Karen McDougal, the former Playboy star with whom Trump had an affair, Daniels reveals that she had no idea about the affair, but once he introduced the two of them at a Trump Vodka party.

Morgan asked how she felt about that, Daniels says: “Honestly, (I’m) kind of impressed.”

Daniels says she would rather go to jail then pay Trump money from defamation case

21:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Asked about the money she has been ordered to pay to Donald Trump (details below) she tells Morgan that she would go to jail before paying Trump a penny of the money she has been ordered to pay him to settle the defamation case.

Stormy Daniels must pay $122,000 in Trump legal bills

21:16 , Oliver O'Connell

Daniels says she was the last person sticking to the terms of the NDA she signed.

“I might be a whore, but I’m an honest whore.”

Asked about Trump’s personal attacks on her (”horseface”) she says: “I have laughed my ass off,” adding that she loves horses and wondering why a man who pursued her sexually would than compare her to an animal.

Stormy Daniels tells Piers Morgan she gets ‘suicide bomber’ style death threats

21:13 , Oliver O'Connell

Stormy Daniels has said that she gets death threats from people who seem as dedicated to their cause as “suicide bombers” while the amount of abuse from Trump supporters has escalated following the former president’s arraignment on charges stemming from hush money paid to the porn actor.

Gustaf Kilander had the full story.

Stormy Daniels tells Piers Morgan she gets ‘suicide bomber’ style death threats

21:12 , Oliver O'Connell

When the story threatened to come out again inThe National Inquirer, out of fear that she might be under threat of being silenced because “as big as a doofus as he is, he's now the Republican Party's problem”, Daniels signed an NDA.

The letter which bears her signature denying the affair ever took place, is brought up and she explains that Michael Cohen wrote the letter and she signed it (incorrectly she says) out of fear of being sued for millions.

Watch below:

21:06 , Oliver O'Connell

Moving on to the 2011 In Touch magazine interview, Daniels says she spoke to them because the story had been leaked and she wanted to make sure it was her story.

When Trump was approached for comment, a lawsuit was threatened and the story was never published.

In 2015, when he announced he was running for president, Daniels said she rolled her eyes as he had said he never wanted to be president.

21:02 , Oliver O'Connell

Morgan asked: "You asked him on that first night about his wife, Melania. They'd only been married quite recently. She’d just given birth to their son. What did you feel about that? You’ve been criticised for that part of it. You already said that.”

Stormy replied: "Yeah. And he had shown me pictures of his wife and son. We were just talking about how cute he was. Not any different than if we showed pictures right now of each other's kids. Like, look at his little outfit, you know?"

Morgan added: “Someone Tweeted you last week and said why did you sleep with him even though you knew he had a wife? And you replied, why did he invite me to his room, take off his clothes, and corner me when I came out of the bathroom even though he knew he had a wife?”

She replied: “Exactly. I mean that sums it up. Why is anyone responsible for somebody else's behaviour in their marriage? I didn’t take a vow to anybody. It’s this whole thing where you blame the other woman but in the other scenario, you really blame the other guy, you know what I mean?"

20:58 , Oliver O'Connell

After their sexual encounter, Daniels said she left within five minutes and felt bad about it, wondering if she had encouraged him.

They met on multiple other occasions at events but she never allowed herself to be alone with him again.

She has since been criticised online for going to a married man’s room, to which she responds: why did he invite me to his room and get on the bed in his underwear?

Morgan says she takes no prisoners on Twitter and is much like Trump.

“I can spell better than him – he still can't spell my name right.”

20:52 , Oliver O'Connell

Morgan asks Daniels to clarify her comments to Vogue about the gap in her memory of the night, clarifying that it was “not non-consensual”.

“I do take responsibility... he didn’t come at me.” Stormy Daniels says her alleged encounter with Donald Trump was consensual - and that she felt “mad at herself” afterward.

Here’s what she told Vogue:

Stormy Daniels reveals she had ‘90-second blank’ during alleged Trump tryst

Stormy Daniels tells Piers Morgan her fan base is generally ‘white guys in suits – like you’

20:49 , Oliver O'Connell

Porn star Stormy Daniels told Piers Morgan that he fitted her usual demographic in their interview for TalkTV on Thursday (6 April).

Morgan was interviewing Daniels over her central role in the hush money payments that led to 34 criminal charges being brought against former president Donald Trump this week.

Tom Murray reports.

Stormy Daniels tells Piers Morgan her fan base is generally ‘guys like you’

20:46 , Oliver O'Connell

The two spoke for more than two hours and even discussed Celebrity Apprentice which he was about to embark on producing.

They then spoke about Trump’s hair and he confirmed it was a choice.

The situation she describes was friendly and non-sexual and “not creepy”.

20:41 , Oliver O'Connell

Moving on to meeting Donald Trump in 2006, Morgan notes she was one of the biggest adult stars in the world at the time and was at a golf tournament with a film company that was sponsoring a hole.

She was introduced to Trump and his bodyguard asked for her number for his boss.

Daniels says she went to his suite at the hotel and while she was promised discussions about business opportunities and dinner, none of that happened.

“He still owes me dinner!” she recalls.

20:36 , Oliver O'Connell

“They genuinely feel that they’re doing something right. That they are the patriots,” Daniels said of the attacks on her.

“Now they’re doing it like a suicide bomber. They truly, in the depths of their soul, they feel like they are doing the right thing.”

“The first time around it was mostly just ‘liar, you know, sk–k, wh–e’, that kind of stuff,” she said of the threats that started in 2018.

She tells Morgan that roughly one in 100 of the menacing messages she received at that time were death threats. Now, she says... it’s one in 10.

“They are way more specific and graphic, and just, instead of some babbling person, like, ‘You’re gonna burn in hell’, that kind of thing, they seem to be more… serious,” she said.

“They’re not hiding. It used to be if they were going to do something, they would do it from a blocked number, or from a fake Twitter account. These people are using their actual phone numbers and their actual emails and their actual Twitter accounts, which then makes it worse because they actually have followers, right?”

Trump’s fans she suggests have stepped up their attacks because the indictment “could actually hurt him”.

“They’re a lot more passionate. I guess that’s a good word. Enthusiastic with their threats and they’re not hiding,” Daniels said.

20:32 , Oliver O'Connell

Morgan moves the conversation on to the threats Daniels has received.

‘The king has been dethroned’

20:31 , Oliver O'Connell

Stormy Daniels says that she felt “sad” to see Donald Trump make history as the first president to be arrested and arraigned in court on criminal charges linked to hush money payments he made to her.

The adult film actress told Piers Morgan that she had expected to be “excited” to see the former president appear before a New York judge but instead admitted she found her actual emotions on the day “shocking.”

Graeme Massie reports.

Stormy Daniels tells Piers Morgan she felt ‘sad’ seeing Trump in court

20:30 , Oliver O'Connell

After recounting where she was when she heard of the indictment (riding her horse named redemption), Daniels says her comments about celebrating the moment were more about she would be vindicated after being accused of lying for so long.

She also clarifies that she was not popping champagne (”I’m not allowed to drink that... I get white-girl-wasted”) but more likely had a Jack Daniels and Coke.

Daniels also says that her lawyer’s statement saying it was not a time to celebrate was right.

20:21 , Oliver O'Connell

“It wasn’t a kiss and tell. In fact I took the money because I didn’t want anyone to know.”

20:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Daniels is a registered Republican she reveals, but did not vote for Trump in 2016 or 2020.

Asked whether her story is being used to dethrone Trump’s 2024 campaign, she says he will do that by himself.

She says it is shocking that he is allowed to run given all the allegations against him.

20:16 , Oliver O'Connell

Asked what she thinks of the claims from Republicans and the right that Donald Trump is being singled out and that other Democrat politicians have been excused their sex scandals (JFK, Clinton, Edwards), Daniels says that she sees it as progress. Now when a woman speaks out about these issues they are taken more seriously post-Me Too.

20:14 , Oliver O'Connell

Daniels says that she does not believe that Trump deserves jail time for her case, but if found guilty of the other crimes he is accused he should face the consequences of those actions.

20:11 , Oliver O'Connell

Calling me in and putting me on the stand legitimises my story she says and adds that she will absolutely testify against him.

20:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Is it healthy for America and democracy to go after Mr Trump for this or wait for the other bigger crimes of which he is accused (Georgia election fraud, January 6 Capitol riot etc) Daniels is asked.

She agrees that those are more serious things.

20:08 , Oliver O'Connell

On the arrest and arraignment of Donald Trump, she says she watched some of it and notes that people should answer for their crimes.

“He's no longer untouchable,” she says. “The king has been dethroned.”

20:06 , Oliver O'Connell

Daniels is asked about how she stood up for her industry and herself in the face of constant abuse but that she couldn’t be shamed.

“What were they going to do? Release nudes?”

Stormy Daniels interview underway

20:05 , Oliver O'Connell

After a friendly introduction, Piers Morgan asks Stormy Daniels what it feels like to be “the most famous woman in the world”, she says it is daunting and describes how her fame changed from adult film star to “hero” to some and her strip club audiences changed.

Stormy marks Trump arrest with spicy tweet

19:52 , Oliver O'Connell

Stormy Daniels has responded to the arrest of Donald Trump and his appearance in a New York City courtroom on criminal charges with a feisty Twitter take.

Graeme Massie reports.

Stormy Daniels reacts to Trump arrest with spicy tweet

Hush payments were discussed in Oval Office, prosecutors say

19:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Roughly one month after Donald Trump entered the White House in 2017, the sitting president orchestrated secret cover-up payments with his attorney from inside the Oval Office, according to Manhattan prosecutors.

Alex Woodward has the details.

Trump discussed hush payments with Michael Cohen in Oval Office, prosecutors say

Not just Stormy: Meet Karen McDougal, the other woman in the hush money affair

19:35 , Oliver O'Connell

While Stormy Daniels may now be something of a household name, another lesser-known woman who received payments to stay silent about her alleged affair with Donald Trump may also play a significant role in the unprecedented criminal charging of a former American commander-in-chief.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

Karen McDougal: Who is the other woman paid hush money over Trump affair?

In 2018, Trump denied knowledge of the payment to Daniels

19:25 , Oliver O'Connell

A 2018 video of Donald Trump denying the alleged hush payments made during the 2016 election campaign has resurfaced.

Sravasti Dasgupta has the story.

Video shows Trump denying hush money payment in 2018: ‘You’ll have to ask Michael’’

Inside the Stormy Daniels hush money case and how it led to Trump’s arrest

19:20 , Oliver O'Connell

John Bowden walks us through the key moments of the five-year saga that has led to Donald Trump’s indictment on criminal charges.

What did Donald Trump do?

Could a New York judge finally force Donald Trump to shut up?

19:07 , Oliver O'Connell

Richard Hall reports on how a New York judge is trying to achieve what no living person has ever achieved before: shutting up Donald Trump.

Many before him have tried, but could a New York judge force Donald Trump to shut up?

Conditions set by Trump ‘severely constrained’ Biden’s disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal plan, review says

19:02 , Oliver O'Connell

Orders given by former president Donald Trump in the waning days of his administration left President Joe Biden “severely constrained” in how he handled the US withdrawal from Afghanistan after two decades of war, an interagency review of the disastrous exit has found.

The White House released the review’s conclusions in a 12-page document laying out the findings on Thursday, the day Congress was set to receive a significant number of classified documents pertaining to the withdrawal.

Andrew Feinberg reports for The Independent from the White House.

Afghanistan withdrawal ‘severely constrained by conditions’ set by Trump, review says

‘I don’t know what happened’ says Stormy Daniels over 90-second bank during alleged tryst with Trump

18:55 , Oliver O'Connell

Stormy Daniels has spoken out about her alleged sexual encounter with Donald Trump, revealing that she had a “90-second blank” where she says “I don’t know what happened”.

Ms Daniels toldVogue in an interview released on Tuesday that, during the 2006 encounter in a hotel room in Nevada, she came out of the bathroom to be greeted by Mr Trump standing in the doorway in his underwear.

The adult film star said that there was then a 90-second period that she has no memory of before she says she found herself on the bed.

Rachel Sharp reports.

Stormy Daniels reveals she had ‘90-second blank’ during alleged Trump tryst

Stormy Daniels’ message to Trump: ‘Tell the truth'

18:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Will Stormy Daniels testify?

18:35 , Oliver O'Connell

“It’s daunting, but I look forward to it. I have nothing to hide.”

Stormy Daniels: One in every 10 messages she receives is a death threat

18:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Stormy Daniels tells Piers Morgan that every one in 10 messages she receives is a death threat.

“These people are using their actual phone numbers and actual email accounts.”

How did a porn star become one of the most powerful people in politics?

18:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Io Dodds explains how Stormy Daniels landed in the middle of a political firestorm that led to one of the most historic days in US presidential history.

How Stormy Daniels became one of the most powerful people in politics

Stormy Daniels is ordered to pay Trump $120k – on day he is charged

17:55 , Oliver O'Connell

Stormy Daniels has been ordered to pay Donald Trump $120,000 – on the same day that the former president was charged in connection to a $130,000 payment to her.

In a California courtroom 3,000 miles from Manhattan Criminal Court where Mr Trump was arraigned on 34 felony charges on Tuesday, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ordered the adult film star to pay more than $121,000 for his legal fees.

The fees come on top of the more than $500,000 she was previously ordered to pay Mr Trump.

Rachel Sharp has the story.

Stormy Daniels ordered to pay Trump $120k – on day of his arrest

Trump hits out at Daniels in 2024 campaign statement ahead of Piers Morgan interview

17:48 , Oliver O'Connell

In a new statement from the Trump 2024 campaign, former president Donald Trump has hit out at “Stormy ‘Horseface’ Daniels” for being “out yet again for her moment of fame!” ahead of the airing of her interview with Piers Morgan later today.

Reposting the statement on Twitter, Morgan said: “ In new statement, President Trump calls ⁦@StormyDaniels⁩ ‘horse face’ again. In my interview, she addresses this nickname… (spoiler: she loves horses) … the affair denial.. and the money she owes him. Airing in 3 hours on ⁦@TalkTV ⁩& ⁦@foxnation.”

Watch: Stormy Daniels says Trump shouldn’t be jailed for hush money crimes

17:35 , Oliver O'Connell

...but if found guilty of his other alleged crimes, he should serve time.

House panel subpoenas ex-Manhattan prosecutor who criticised pace of Trump probe

17:25 , Oliver O'Connell

The House Judiciary Committee is attempting to compel testimony from a former Manhattan Assistant District Attorney who resigned last year after criticising District Attorney Alvin Bragg for not pursuing a criminal case against former president Donald Trump.

Andrew Feinberg has the latest from Washington, DC.

House panel subpoenas ex-Manhattan prosecutor who criticised pace of Trump probe

How Stormy Daniels cashed in on publicity from Trump arraignment

17:15 , Oliver O'Connell

While Donald Trump’s historic appearance in a New York courtroom on criminal charges may have been a dark day for the former president, his arrest has been a boon for his tormentor Stormy Daniels.

The adult film star, who is a central figure in the hush money payments that led to 34 falsifying business records charges being brought against Mr Trump, has been using it to cash in on her increased notoriety.

Graeme Massie has the story.

How Stormy Daniels cashed in on publicity from Donald Trump’s arrest

Stormy Daniels: Trump should be jailed if found guilty of crimes or others may do worse

17:05 , Oliver O'Connell

Rep Jim Jordan issues first subpoena over probe into Manhattan DA

16:57 , Oliver O'Connell

Republican Ohio Rep Jim Jordan has issued his first subpoena in his probe of the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, sending one to former New York County Special Assistant District Attorney Mark Pomerantz to appear for a deposition.

Melania was glaringly absent from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago speech, but one former aide explains why

16:55 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump thanked his family for their support in a speech just hours after he was criminally charged in New York – but failed to mention his absent wife Melania.

The former first lady seemingly skipped the high-profile event at their Mar-a-Lago estate on Tuesday night, following her notable absence on the indictment trip to New York City.

Full story:

The glaring omission from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago speech

However, Ms Trump “isn’t leaving him”, said her ex-aide and once good friend, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff.

“Melania lives in an ivory tower of denial,” she was quoted as saying by Page Six.

“I never expected to see her there. Her silence is deliberate, it is her weapon of choice and her protective armor.”

Read on:

Melania’s former aide reveals why she was missing on Trump arrest day

Byron Donalds endorses Trump

16:53 , Oliver O'Connell

Florida Republican Rep Byron Donalds has endorsed Donald Trump for president, just a few weeks after declining to say if he would support him or his home state governor, Ron DeSantis.

Watch: DeSantis disappointed by size of protest crowd

16:35 , Oliver O'Connell

Here’s some background on Ron DeSantis’s trip to Michigan, the “anti-Florida”.

GOP's DeSantis visits Whitmer's Michigan, the 'anti-Florida'

Coming up tonight: Stormy Daniels tells her story

16:27 , Oliver O'Connell

‘We’re getting lots of popcorn!’: Russian media mocks Trump over arrest

16:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump’s indictment in New York City has been met with ridicule by state TV in Russia, where hosts have enjoyed themselves by showcasing artwork depicting the former president wearing an orange prison jumpsuit and speculating about future jail time.

Joe Sommerlad has the story.

Russian media mocks Trump over arrest: ‘We’re getting lots of popcorn!’

In a week of firsts...

15:55 , Oliver O'Connell

The New Yorker is using a courtroom sketch for its cover for the first time ever.

15:35 , Oliver O'Connell

Stormy Daniels says she will testify against Donald Trump

Last night on Truth Social

15:15 , Oliver O'Connell

It was a relatively quiet night on Truth Social for Donald Trump.

After his earlier posts claiming that going to court was “an unbelievable experience, perhaps the Best Day in History” and then gloating that Daniel Kelly of Wisconsin lost his Supreme Court election because he said he didn’t need a Trump endorsement, the former president reposted video clips of favourable coverage from Newsmax, War Room, and Fox News.

He then took a moment to flog his new book, Letters to Trump, before railing against China and the dollar.

China is trying to displace the U.S. Dollar as the NUMBER ONE CURRENCY throughout the World. Unthinkable three years ago! If this happens, and under Biden’s leadership it probably will, this would be the biggest defeat for our Country in its history. We will be reduced to SECOND TIER STATUS. AMAZING. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

No further posts have been made so far this morning.

DeSantis is Michigan for GOP breakfast

15:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump’s chief foe in the Republican Party, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is at a GOP breakfast in Midland County, Michigan.

Selina Guevara of NBC News notes that while there are approximately 500 people in attendance, there are also about 100 people outside protesting the governor.

Mr DeSantis opened his remarks by saying “I’m disappointed in the protesters, I was hoping to draw more.”

Clearly a man to unite the nation.

Trump Judge Juan Merchan receives ‘dozens’ of threats after arraignment

14:49 , Oliver O'Connell

Judge Juan Merchan has received “dozens” of threats including phone calls, emails and letters since Donald Trump appeared in court for his arraignment.

Unnamed officials told NBC News that several unsubstantiated threats have been sent to Judge Merchan, his family and the Manhattan Criminal Court in the last day.

Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg and other top officials in the DA’s office have also been targeted with threats, one of the sources said.

As a result, security has been ramped up for staff at the court and the DA’s office.

This comes as Mr Trump and his allies have launched multiple attacks on Mr Bragg and Judge Merchan in recent days – with Eric Trump even posting a photo of the judge’s daughter online.

Trump judge receives ‘dozens’ of threats after arraignment

Donald Trump Jr confirms he signed father’s porn star ‘hush money’ check

14:45 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump Jr has admitted that it was actually him who signed one of the hush money checks now at the centre of his father’s arrest on criminal charges.

The former president’s son told right-wing network Newsmax that part of Mr Trump’s indictment on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records refers to his own actions.

“That son is me. Like I said, clearly also not a campaign finance violation if it’s from his own trust, not to a campaign, not from the campaign, not from the funds raised from it,” he said.

“So, none of it actually makes any sense.”

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp reports:

Donald Trump Jr confirms he signed father’s porn star ‘hush money’ check

Trump pleads with Ron DeSantis' top donors to ditch the Florida governor

14:15 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump is pleading with Ron DeSantis' top donors to ditch the Florida governor in favour of supporting him instead.

The former president sent a memo to the donors telling them to throw their support behind his own 2024 campaign because he claims he is the Republican favourite.

In the memo, obtained by Politico, he wrote: “Now is the time to demonstrate your support and join.”

The plea comes as Mr DeSantis is yet to officially announce his run in the 2024 White House race but is already shaping up to be a key rival of Mr Trump – who is making his third bid for the Oval Office.

Reason for Melania Trump’s absence from post-arraignment speech

13:45 , Rachel Sharp

Melania Trump’s apparent reason for skipping her husband’s post-arraignment speech at Mar-a-Lago has been revealed.

The former first lady was notably absent from Tuesday night’s address – despite the fact she lives at the Florida estate.

Former aide Stephanie Winston Wolkoff told Page Six that Melania’s “silence is deliberate”.

“It is her weapon of choice and her protective armour,” she said.

Ms Winston Wolkoff added that Melania “isn’t leaving him” but she “lives in an ivory tower of denial”.

“I never expected to see her there. Her silence is deliberate, it is her weapon of choice and her protective armor,” she said.

Stormy Daniels to speak out in Piers Morgan interview today

13:15 , Rachel Sharp

Stormy Daniels – the woman at the centre of Donald Trump’s historic arrest and arraignment – is speaking out in an interview with Piers Morgan today.

“WORLD EXCLUSIVE: I just finished an astonishing 90-minute interview with ⁦@StormyDaniels⁩ Everyone’s had their say about her, now she tells HER story about the fling that may send President Trump to prison. It airs tomorrow on ⁦@PiersUncensored,” Morgan tweeted on Wednesday.

Adult film star Ms Daniels was slated to sit down for an interview with Morgan last week but it was called off due to “security concerns”.

Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records over alleged hush money payments to Ms Daniels and other individuals ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

Voices: Mitch McConnell’s refusal to join in the sound and fury around Trump arrest says everything

12:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia writes:

Longtime McConnell watchers know that what he doesn’t say matters just as much, if not more, than what he says. And Mr McConnell clearly sees any mention of the former president as a losing game.

Read more:

Mitch McConnell’s refusal to join in the sound and fury around Trump says everything

Trump ‘deejayed until 2am’ at a private Mar-a-Lago arraignment party, report says

12:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Thanks to reporting by The Washington Post we got a little glimpse behind the curtain at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday night following former President Donald Trump’s grievance-laden speech to supporters after his arrest and arraignment in New York.

Read more:

Trump ‘deejayed until 2am’ at a private Mar-a-Lago arraignment party, report says

Stormy Daniels says she doesn’t believe Trump deserves jail time over hush money payments

12:00 , Rachel Sharp

Stormy Daniels has said that she doesn’t believe Donald Trump deserves to spend time in jail over the $130,000 hush money paid to her in the days before the 2016 presidential election.

The adult film star spoke out about the former president’s arrest and arraignment on a staggering 34 felony counts in Manhattan in a new interview with Piers Morgan.

In a clip of the interview, due to air in full on TalkTV later on Thursday, she said that she thinks Mr Trump should potentially face prison time over the other investigations encircling him – just not for the case involving her.

“Specific to my case I don’t think that his crimes against me are worthy of incarceration,” she said.

“I feel like the other things that he has done if he is found guilty, absolutely, because our bigger problem is that if these allegations against him – or whatever else that we don’t know – if he is found guilty or the evidence suggests that he is and he doesn’t [go to jail] that is going to basically, it opens the door to other people to think they can get away with doing that and worse.”

Read the story here:

Stormy Daniels doesn’t believe Trump deserves jail time over hush money payments

Recap: Donald Trump’s arrest and arraignment — How the historic day unfolded

11:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Tuesday 4 April 2023 will go down as an unprecedented and historic day for America: the day former President Donald Trump was arrested and arraigned on criminal charges.

Here’s how it unfolded.

Was Trump arrested? How the arraignment unfolded

WATCH: Stormy Daniels says she doesn’t believe Trump deserves jail time

11:36 , Rachel Sharp

Trump claims Tuesday’s indictment ‘unbelievable experience’ and ‘Best Day in History’

11:15 , Rachel Sharp

This is one way of spinning that you just became the first president in US history to be arraigned on 34 counts of felony charges.

Former president Donald Trump posted this to Truth Social on Wednesday:

As much as I can enjoy a day like Tuesday, where the Radical Left Lunatics, Maniacs, and Perverts had me Indicted and ARRESTED for no reason whatsoever, there was no Crime, it was an unbelievable experience, perhaps the Best Day in History for somebody who had just suffered Unjustifiable Indictment! My Poll Numbers have never been better, almost $10 Million was raised for the Campaign and, the day was capped off with a very important Speech. If we don’t stop the Radical Left, America is DEAD!

Profile: Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg

10:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Who is Alvin Bragg, the district attorney who could bring down Trump?

Trump Judge Juan Merchan receives ‘dozens’ of threats after arraignment

10:15 , Rachel Sharp

Judge Juan Merchan has received “dozens” of threats including phone calls, emails and letters since Donald Trump appeared in court for his arraignment.

Unnamed officials told NBC News that several unsubstantiated threats have been sent to Judge Merchan, his family and the Manhattan Criminal Court in the last day.

Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg and other top officials in the DA’s office have also been targeted with threats, one of the sources said.

As a result, security has been ramped up for staff at the court and the DA’s office.

This comes as Mr Trump and his allies have launched multiple attacks on Mr Bragg and Judge Merchan in recent days – with Eric Trump even posting a photo of the judge’s daughter online.

What is Trump charged with and will he go to prison?

09:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump has officially been arraigned on 34 counts of falsifying business records, making him the first former US president to be a defendant in a criminal case.

Mr Trump pleaded not guilty in proceedings before New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, the same judge who last year presided over the criminal tax fraud trial of two of the ex-president’s companies.

Andrew Feinberg examines the case and explains what happens next.

What is Trump charged with and will he go to prison?

Trump signs off day by airing grievance against China

09:18 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump signed off the day on Wednesday by airing a new grievance against China.

The day after his arrest and arraignment on criminal charges, Mr Trump took to Truth Social to fume about the charges, claim he had “perhaps the Best Day in History” – and plug his new book.

His last post came at around midnight ET when he wrote: “China is trying to displace the U.S. Dollar as the NUMBER ONE CURRENCY throughout the World. Unthinkable three years ago!

“If this happens, and under Biden’s leadership it probably will, this would be the biggest defeat for our Country in its history. We will be reduced to SECOND TIER STATUS. AMAZING. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” he wrote.

Trump hits out at China on Truth Social (Truth Social)
Trump hits out at China on Truth Social (Truth Social)

In pictures: Donald Trump surrenders to court

08:45 , Oliver O'Connell

The journey from ex-president to formally accused criminal defendant has once again thrust the former president into the global spotlight he craves. The Trump Show is back.

Trump surrender in photos: Planes, limos and barricades as ex-president faces arrest

The glaring omission from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago speech

07:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump thanked his family for their support in a speech just hours after he was criminally charged in New York – but failed to mention his absent wife Melania.

The former first lady seemingly skipped the high-profile event at their Mar-a-Lago estate on Tuesday night, following her notable absence on the indictment trip to New York City.

Graeme Massie reports.

The glaring omission from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago speech

Resurfaced video shows Trump denying Stormy Daniels payment while president

06:45 , Oliver O'Connell

A 2018 video of Donald Trump denying the alleged hush payments made during the 2016 election campaign has surfaced.

On Tuesday, the former president pleaded not guilty to 34 charges of falsifying business records related to hush money payments made in three instances in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election, including to adult film actress Stormy Daniels over an alleged affair.

Sravasti Dasgupta reports.

Video shows Trump denying hush money payment in 2018: ‘You’ll have to ask Michael’’

All of the other major lawsuits and investigations Trump is facing

05:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Josh Marcus and Louise Hall have catalogued all of the various investigations facing the former president.

Donald Trump under arrest: All the other major lawsuits he is also facing

Central Park Five member takes out full page ad on Trump

04:45 , Oliver O'Connell

A member of the Central Park Five has responded to Donald Trump’s indictment and arrest by taking out a full-page advertisement, similar to the former president’s call for their execution more than 30 years ago.

Maroosha Muzaffar has the story.

Central Park Five member takes out full page ad on Trump arrest

Mary Trump says of uncle: ‘We saw humiliation’

03:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Mary Trump, the niece of former president Donald Trump, said on Tuesday that a five-second video of her uncle walking into the Manhattan courtroom was all that was needed to “figure out his state of mind”.

“And during that brief glimpse, we saw the uncertainty, the fear, and the humiliation,” Ms Trump tweeted.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar reports.

Mary Trump says uncle Donald gave away his terror for one brief moment outside court

Recap: Shamed ex-president pleads not guilty to 34 charges

02:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump, who just over two years ago sat atop the United States executive branch as the 45th president, has been formally charged with 34 felonies relating to falsifying business records around hush money payments during the 2016 presidential campaign.

He pleaded not guilty to all the charges during an appearance in the Manhattan Criminal Court on Tuesday.

Andrew Feinberg and Bevan Hurley filed this report.

Trump under arrest: Shamed ex-president pleads not guilty to hush money charges

Five times Trump said something untrue in his post-indictment speech

Thursday 6 April 2023 00:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump went on a wild, fact-free tirade against his political foes on Tuesday in an expected response to the long-awaited criminal indictment that finally was released by prosecutors in Manhattan earlier in the day.

In one of the president’s typical rambling addresses, he swiped at any rival he could think of while decrying the Democrats as well as federal and state authorities around the nation as his mortal foes. And in trademark Trump fashion, he did it in a way that likely delighted the closest of his followers but probably left most Americans watching his speech wondering why it has taken so long for the legal system to catch up with him.

John Bowden reports.

Five times Donald Trump said something untrue in his post-indictment speech

ICYMI: MSNBC boycotts Trump’s ‘untrue’ Mar-a-Lago speech

Wednesday 5 April 2023 23:45 , Oliver O'Connell

MSNBC decided on Tuesday it wouldn’t be airing a full broadcast of Donald Trump’s speech from Mar-a-Lago, his first public remarks since heading to New York earlier in the day to face 34 criminal charges related to his involvement in a hush money scheme during the 2016 election.

During a discussion segment, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow said the network wasn’t showing the full speech because it was “basically a campaign speech in which he is repeating his same lies and allegations against his perceived enemies.”

Josh Marcus reports.

MSNBC boycotts Trump’s ‘untrue’ Mar-a-Lago speech

ICYMI: Trump attacks judge’s family and calls Alvin Bragg a ‘criminal’

Wednesday 5 April 2023 23:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump publicly denounced the judge and prosecutor in his criminal case in a provocative speech from his Mar-a-Lago estate, just hours after being warned against rhetoric likely to incite violence.

Eric Garcia reports.

Trump attacks judge and ‘criminal’ prosecutor in Mar-a-Lago speech despite warning

With legal woes overlapping with the 2024 campaign, Trump’s bravado is being put to the test

Wednesday 5 April 2023 22:45 , Oliver O'Connell

When Donald Trump stepped into a Manhattan courthouse Tuesday afternoon, his usual bravado was replaced with palpable anger and notable silence as the former president was reduced to a criminal defendant in custody.

By the time he returned to his Mar-a-Lago club hours later, he was ready to unleash.

Read more:

Trump's bravado tested as legal woes overlap with campaign

Donald and Melania Trump: A timeline of their relationship

Wednesday 5 April 2023 22:25 , Oliver O'Connell

Melania Trump was notably absent on Tuesday when her husband Donald Trump surrendered to authorities in Manhattan after being indicted on 34 felony counts.

Here’s their story, from the first meeting to now.

Melania and Donald Trump: A timeline of their relationship from first meeting to now

Voices: Mitch McConnell’s refusal to join in the sound and fury around Trump arrest says everything

Wednesday 5 April 2023 22:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia writes:

Longtime McConnell watchers know that what he doesn’t say matters just as much, if not more, than what he says. And Mr McConnell clearly sees any mention of the former president as a losing game.

Read more:

Mitch McConnell’s refusal to join in the sound and fury around Trump says everything

Dodgy checks, a ‘secret child’, and the Oval Office

Wednesday 5 April 2023 22:05 , Oliver O'Connell

Prosecutors in New York City have finally laid out the full list of charges against Donald Trump, making him the first former president in US history to be charged with a criminal offence.

The mercurial real estate tycoon stands accused of 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection to alleged hush money payments to porn actor and director Stormy Daniels plus two other people.

“From August 2015 to December 2017, the defendant orchestrated a scheme with others to influence the 2016 presidential election by identifying and purchasing negative information about him to suppress its publication and benefit the defendant’s electoral prospects,” said Manhattan prosecutors in a 13-page “statement of facts” that accompanied the indictment.

“In order to execute the unlawful scheme, the participants violated election laws and made and caused false entries in the business records of various entities in New York. The participants also took steps that mischaracterised, for tax purposes, the true nature of the payments made in furtherance of the scheme.”

But beyond these historic claims, the prosecutors’ statement also includes new details about the long-running saga of the president and the porn star. Mr Trump, for his part, pled not guilty to all charges.

Here are the six key revelations.

Six bombshell claims from the New York indictment against Donald Trump

Trump ‘deejayed until 2am’ at a private Mar-a-Lago arraignment party, report says

Wednesday 5 April 2023 21:52 , Oliver O'Connell

Thanks to reporting by The Washington Post we got a little glimpse behind the curtain at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday night following former President Donald Trump’s grievance-laden speech to supporters after his arrest and arraignment in New York.

Read more:

Trump ‘deejayed until 2am’ at a private Mar-a-Lago arraignment party, report says

Blinken: Nato members don’t appear to care about Trump arrest

Wednesday 5 April 2023 21:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday said representatives from fellow Nato member nations didn’t show any interest in the unprecedented criminal case which New York City prosecutors unveiled against former president Donald Trump one day before.

Mr Blinken was asked to describe Nato members’ reactions to Mr Trump’s arrest and arraignment in a Manhattan courtroom during a press conference in Brussels, where he’d travelled to attend a ceremony marking Finland’s addition to the 31-nation defensive alliance.

Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington, DC.

Nato members don’t appear to care about Trump arrest, Blinken says

Trump claims Tuesday’s indictment ‘unbelievable experience’ and ‘Best Day in History’

Wednesday 5 April 2023 21:29 , Oliver O'Connell

This is one way of spinning that you just became the first president in US history to be arraigned on 34 counts of felony charges. Former president Donald Trump just posted this to Truth Social:

As much as I can enjoy a day like Tuesday, where the Radical Left Lunatics, Maniacs, and Perverts had me Indicted and ARRESTED for no reason whatsoever, there was no Crime, it was an unbelievable experience, perhaps the Best Day in History for somebody who had just suffered Unjustifiable Indictment! My Poll Numbers have never been better, almost $10 Million was raised for the Campaign and, the day was capped off with a very important Speech. If we don’t stop the Radical Left, America is DEAD!

A very upset Lindsey Graham begs Americans to send Trump money

Wednesday 5 April 2023 21:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina called on Americans to raise money for former president Donald Trump’s legal defence after his arraignment on Tuesday.

Mr Graham spoke on Sean Hannity’s show on Fox News after Mr Trump pled not guilty to 34 felony charges in the Manhattan Criminal Court on Tuesday.

The senator made an equally emotional appearance on TV after news of the indictment broke.

Eric Garcia has the story.

Lindsey Graham begs Americans to send Trump money after he is arraigned on 34 charges

Wednesday 5 April 2023 20:55 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump arrested: A president surrenders | On The Ground

Despite his defence of Putin, Russian media mocks Trump over arrest

Wednesday 5 April 2023 20:35 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump’s indictment in New York City has been met with ridicule by state TV in Russia, where hosts have enjoyed themselves by showcasing artwork depicting the former president wearing an orange prison jumpsuit and speculating about future jail time.

Joe Sommerlad reports.

Russian media mocks Trump over arrest days after he defended Putin

Did Nikki Haley outraise Trump in first quarter of campaign?

Wednesday 5 April 2023 20:23 , Oliver O'Connell

Nikki Haley has suggested that she had raked in more campaign cash than former president Donald Trump in her first fundraising quarter as a presidential candidate — but the numbers aren’t quite that simple.

Eric Garcia takes a look at what her campaign said.

Nikki Haley says she outraised Trump in her first quarter. But how true is that?

Full story: Pence will give evidence against Trump in January 6 probe

Wednesday 5 April 2023 20:14 , Oliver O'Connell

Former vice president Mike Pence will not appeal a court ruling compelling him to heed a subpoena to testify before the federal grand jury investigating former president Donald Trump’s actions leading up to the January 6 attack on the Capitol.

Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington, DC.

Pence will give evidence against Trump in Jan 6 probe

Marjorie Taylor Greene’s bizarre new theory about Trump’s arrest

Wednesday 5 April 2023 20:07 , Oliver O'Connell

“Democrats are so jealous,” Ms Greene tweeted from Palm Beach on Tuesday night. “They don’t have a Donald Trump. They would give anything to have him. But they don’t. They’re like a jealous girl that got tossed to the side. They’re blinded by hate & jealousy and will do anything to stop him because they can’t have him. Psycho.”

Huh?

Marjorie Taylor Greene tweets bizarre new theory about Trump’s arrest

Pence will not appeal ruling ordering him to testify to Jan 6 grand jury

Wednesday 5 April 2023 19:54 , Oliver O'Connell

Mike Pence will not appeal against a court order requiring him to testify before the grand jury investigating the events surrounding the January 6 Capitol riot and Donald Trump’s role in the events of that day.

“Vice President Pence will not appeal the Judge’s ruling and will comply with the subpoena as required by law,” spokesman Devin O’Malley said on Wednesday in a statement.

More follows.

‘Very bad look’ for Trump to ‘go after’ judge’s family, says Fox News’ Doocy

Wednesday 5 April 2023 19:43 , Oliver O'Connell

Fox News anchor Steve Doocy has admonished Donald Trump for attacking the family New York judge presiding over his criminal case.

“It is a very bad look to attack the family,” Doocy said during Wednesday’s episode of Fox and Friends.

During his speech at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday night following his arraignment for 34 felony charges relating to hush money payments prior to the 2016 election, the former president railed against what he said was the “Trump-hating” judge overseeing his case and his “Trump-hating wife and family”.

Voices: Deranged and delusional, Trump rambled for 26 minutes of hateful twisted facts – and it was dull, dull, dull

Wednesday 5 April 2023 19:35 , Oliver O'Connell

Sean O’Grady writes:

Donald Trump, never a man to shirk an opportunity to get things off his chest, gave Americans and the wider world a showcase of just how big a crashing bore he can be, and why they really shouldn’t want him back in the White House.

Opinion: Deranged Trump rambled for 26 hateful minutes – and it was dull, dull, dull

Click here to read the full blog on The Independent's website