Search
AI-powered search, human-powered content.
scroll to top arrow or icon

{{ subpage.title }}

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

In a court filing unsealed on Wednesday, special counsel Jack Smith said Donald Trumpresorted 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.

Read moreShow less

FILE PHOTO: Former U.S. President Donald Trump attends the closing arguments in the Trump Organization civil fraud trial at New York State Supreme Court in the Manhattan borough of New York City, U.S., January 11, 2024.

REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/File Photo

The Supreme Court throws Trump a bone

The US Supreme Court agreed to rule on former President Donald Trump’s contention that he is immune from prosecution for his actions in office, a surprise decision that will delay Trump’s trial for allegedly seeking to overturn the 2020 election.

Trump’s lawyers say a president can only be held accountable for actions taken in office through impeachment in the House of Representatives and conviction in the Senate. Critics say that would essentially put any president above the law – as Judge Florence Pan elucidated by asking Trump’s lawyer whether under this theory a sitting president could assassinate a rival and remain immune (Trump’s lawyer said “yes,” by the way).

What happens now: The Supreme Court set a trial date of April 22, and froze all Trump’s DC court proceedings in the meantime. The months of delay may prevent a conviction in advance of the election, even if the Supreme Court rules against him. Polling shows moderate and independent voters would be less likely to back Trump if he is convicted, so delaying trial long enough could moot the question.
Francis Fukuyama: Americans should be very worried about failing democracy
Francis Fukuyama: Americans should be very worried about failing democracy | GZERO World

Francis Fukuyama: Americans should be very worried about failing democracy

The prospect of another Trump presidency can be hard to imagine. Still, before we even get there, we must confront the possibility of political violence in the months leading up to November 5.

With the US presidential election on November 5, many Americans are pondering what another four years of a Trump presidency could mean for the country and the world. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. The months leading up to November 5 (and the period after the election but before the January 20 inauguration) could be the most consequential in modern history. That's according to Stanford political scientist Francis Fukuyama, who warns that the capacity for violence amongst Trump supporters is unprecedented.

Read moreShow less

Law enforcement surround the Mississippi State Capitol

Hard Numbers: Bomb threats rattle state capitols, Egypt expands new desert metropolis, Myanmar junta springs prisoners, poll shows popular Jan. 6th conspiracy theory, “Bladerunner” walks out of jail

6: On Wednesday, six US state capitol buildings were evacuated after a mass email claimed a bomb threat. No bombs were found but the scare comes after a string of incidents in which state and federal representatives have been “swatted” – a kind of harassment in which prank callers tell the police there are emergencies at lawmakers’ homes, causing SWAT teams to be deployed there.
Read moreShow less

Former President Donald Trump attends a campaign event in Waterloo, Iowa, on Dec. 19, 2023.

REUTERS/Scott Morgan

Colorado's Supreme Court disqualifies Trump from state primary ballot

The Colorado Supreme Court accepted the argument that the 14th Amendment disqualifies former President Donald Trump from running in 2024 after determining that he played a role in the Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol. The game-changing decision — which will inevitably be taken to the Supreme Court — mandates that Colorado’s secretary of state exclude Trump from the state’s Republican primary ballot.

Read moreShow less
Capitol riot tops list of most serious charges against Trump
Capitol riot tops list of most serious charges against Trump | GZERO World

Capitol riot tops list of most serious charges against Trump

Donald Trump has already been indicted for business fraud in New York. But that's not the only open case against the former US president, who's running again in 2024.

Read moreShow less
Toxic social media & American divisiveness
Toxic social media & American divisiveness | GZERO World

Toxic social media & American divisiveness

Are America's social and political divisions a greater threat to its future than any external force? On this episode of GZERO World, tech expert and NYU Professor Scott Galloway argues that despite its geopolitical and economic strength, America's social fabric is fraying due to “a lack of camaraderie, patriotism, and connective tissue.”

He blames social media for creating the sense that things are much worse than they are and worries that artificial intelligence may only make a growing problem much worse.

Read moreShow less

Subscribe to our free newsletter, GZERO Daily

Latest