Skip to content
Search
Human content, AI powered search.

Latest Stories

What We're Watching

Trump’s Jan. 6 acts were personal, not presidential, prosecutor argues

Trump’s Jan. 6 acts were personal, not presidential, prosecutor argues
Matthew Kendrick
By Matthew KendrickOctober 02, 2024
Matthew Kendrick
Matthew Kendrick is an Emmy-nominated journalist covering global affairs for GZERO Media. He speaks fluent Spanish with a mild Chilean accent thanks to growing up in the Atacama, advanced Mandarin thanks to his time in Harbin, and basic Korean thanks to his Fulbright award. Prior to GZERO, Matt was a producer for CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS. When he's not reporting and writing, you can catch him doing yoga, struggling to teach himself Turkish, or (most likely) napping with his two cats.
See Full Bio

In a court filing unsealed on Wednesday, special counsel Jack Smith said Donald Trump “resorted to crimes” in an effort to retain power despite losing the 2020 election, including pressuring then-Vice President Mike Pence not to certify electoral votes. Smith is trying to persuade Judge Tanya Chutkan that the former president’s actions were of a personal nature, and thus don’t fall under the sweeping protections for presidential acts the Supreme Court granted earlier this year.

The unsealed documents recount a Nov. 12, 2020, meeting between Trump and Pence where the vice president attempted to deflect pressure from Trump by offering avenues for deescalation and a peaceful transfer of power. “Don’t concede but recognize the process is over,” Pence told him, urging Trump to instead run again in 2024. According to the filing, Trump replied that he was not willing to wait.

If Smith is successful, the acts in question may remain a part of the indictment against Trump as the case moves forward. If not, the government has a harder case to make. Either way, there will be no resolution before the November election — and if Trump wins, well, all bets on Smith’s case are off.

january 6jack smithsupreme courtpersonal actspresidential actscrimestrump

Latest Videos

Is regime change in Iran even possible?play icon
ask ian

Is regime change in Iran even possible?

The Pentagon’s growing grip on AI
GZERO World Clips

The Pentagon’s growing grip on AI

Regime invades streamers with Special Military Operation
Puppet Regime

Regime invades streamers with Special Military Operation

War in Iran disrupts global shipping
Quick Take

War in Iran disrupts global shipping

Endgame in Iran?
GZERO World with Ian Bremmer

Endgame in Iran?

Trump’s gamble in Iran
Ian Explains

Trump’s gamble in Iran

More For You

Israel says it killed Iran’s security chief, US considers tying Zambia’s HIV aid to minerals access, Cuba’s power grid cuts out

March 13, 2026, Tehran, Iran: ALI LARIJANI (C), Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, participates in the Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day rally, a commemoration in support of the Palestinian people on the last Friday of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, in Tehran.

March 13, 2026, Tehran, Iran: ALI LARIJANI (C), Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, participates in the Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day rally, a commemoration in support of the Palestinian people on the last Friday of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, in Tehran.

Supreme National Security Counci via ZUMA Press Wire
Israel says it has killed Iran’s security chief, as war drags onAli Larijani, who was head of the Islamic Republic’s influential security council and had effectively run the country since Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s death, was killed in a strike overnight, Israel has said. Tehran has not confirmed his death. If it is true, Larijani would be the [...]

Trump asks for help reopening the Strait of Hormuz, Pakistan-Afghanistan conflict rages on, Ugandan opposition leader flees

​U.S. President Donald Trump walks as he arrives back at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 15, 2026.

U.S. President Donald Trump walks as he arrives back at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 15, 2026.

REUTERS/Aaron Schwartz
Trump demands global help to reopen the Strait of HormuzTwo weeks into his war against Iran, the US president is now calling on other countries to send forces to help secure the Strait of Hormuz. At the moment, Iran is allowing only a handful of (mostly China-bound) tankers to pass through without threat of mines, drones, or missile attacks. [...]

Mexico City mass soccer trainings, Bangladesh struggles to keep the lights on, Records smashed at the Oscars

​Mexicans participate in an attempt to set a new Guinness World Record, where organisers aim to break the mark for the world's largest football (soccer) lesson as part of efforts to promote the country ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, at Zocalo square in Mexico City, Mexico, March 15, 2026.

Mexicans participate in an attempt to set a new Guinness World Record, where organisers aim to break the mark for the world's largest football (soccer) lesson as part of efforts to promote the country ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, at Zocalo square in Mexico City, Mexico, March 15, 2026.

REUTERS/Quetzalli Nicte-Ha
9,500: The number of people in Mexico City who participated in a soccer training session on Sunday, smashing a Guinness World Record as part of a campaign ahead of the World Cup in June. The event surpassed the previous record set in Seattle last year, when 1,038 people had a kickabout.2,000: The distance between Iran and Bangladesh, where [...]

Trump eases Russian oil sanctions, US-Cuba talks, Zimbabwe to leverage lithium mines

​Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with journalists to comment on new U.S. sanctions targeting two major Russia's oil producers, as well as other international issues, in Moscow, Russia, October 23, 2025.

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with journalists to comment on new U.S. sanctions targeting two major Russia's oil producers, as well as other international issues, in Moscow, Russia, October 23, 2025.

Sputnik/Alexander Shcherbak/Pool via REUTERS
Trump relaxes Russian oil sanctionsThe US has paused Russian oil sanctions in a bid to stabilize energy markets rocked by the war with Iran. Administration officials stress that it’s a “tailored” measure, applying only to oil already loaded onto tankers, but it’s still a gift to Russia, which has already been clocking an extra $150 million daily [...]