Trump attends wake of slain NYPD officer: Latest updates

Trump attends wake of slain NYPD officer: Latest updates

News Hour
Donald Trump arrives at wake of slain NYPD officer

Donald Trump was in suburban New York on Thursday to pay respects to slain NYPD officer Jonathan Diller as he seeks to make fear of crime a focus of his 2024 presidential campaign.

As the former president attended the memorial in Massapequa, Long Island, his campaign sought to draw a contrast with a high-profile Democratic fundraiser in Manhattan hosted by Presiden Joe Biden alongside Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.

Retired police officer Aquilino Gonell, a veteran of the January 6 Capitol riot, slammed Mr Trump as an “opportunistic grifter” for hailing “law and order” while praising the rioters who attacked him and his colleagues as “patriots, political prisoners, and hostages”.

Meanwhile, Mr Trump’s attorneys were back in court in Fulton County fighting to have his Georgia election interference case thrown out by arguing that his false claims the 2020 vote was stolen are protected under the First Amendment.

The hearing comes after the Republican presidential candidate, and part-time Bible salesman, appeared to test out the boundaries of a new gag order imposed on him ahead of his hush money criminal trial by Justice Juan Merchan by repeatedly attacking the judge and his daughter on Truth Social.

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Watch: Fox News host says ‘the RNC is in complete tatters. The DNC is cruising’

Fox News’s Jessica Tarlov holds her own again on The Five observing that, in terms of fundraising: “The RNC is in complete tatters. The DNC is cruising.”

Contrasting that with Donald Trump flogging bibles for $60 to pay his legal fees, she unsurprisingly gets a little bit of pushback from her co-hosts:

Democrats did not arrest the former president. Grand juries indicted him on criminal charges based on evidence of crimes they believe he committed.

Oliver O’Connell28 March 2024 21:44

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Former President Donald Trump speaks to the press after attending the wake of slain New York City Police Department officer Jonathan Diller in Massapequa, New York

(EPA)

Oliver O’Connell28 March 2024 21:34

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Trump lays into hush money judge (and his daughter) for third time…

One might think that if you were to stand trial on criminal charges, ranting publicly about the judge and members of his family migth now work in your favour. Donald Trump thinks differently.

Here’s what the former president had to say on Truth Social this afternoon in his third such attack:

Judge Juan Merchan is totally compromised, and should be removed from this TRUMP Non-Case immediately. His Daughter, Loren, is a Rabid Trump Hater, who has admitted to having conversations with her father about me, and yet he gagged me. She works for Crooked Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Adam “Shifty” Schiff, and other Radical Leftists who Campaign on “Getting Trump,” and fundraise off the “Biden Indictments” – including this Witch Hunt, which her father “presides” over, a TOTAL Conflict – and attacking Biden’s Political Opponent through the Courts. Former D.A. Cy Vance refused to bring this case, as did all Federal Agencies, including “Elections.”

Page 2: In this Country, we have the Right to Justice for All. As Andy McCarthy stated, “We should think of Bragg as falsifying his Prosecution” and, as Jonathan Turley said, “It’s illegally pathetic – THERE WAS NO CRIME!” Virtually every Legal Scholar says it’s not a case, has never been brought before, it’s not criminal, and it shouldn’t exist except for the fact that we have a Biased, Conflicted, and Corrupt Judge and D.A. in charge. Dismiss this ridiculous Non-Case, and MAKE THE AMERICAN JUSTICE SYSTEM GREAT AGAIN!

This all comes after Judge Juan Merchan imposed a limited gag order on Mr Trump, as Alex Woodward reports:

The hush money trial brought against Mr Trump by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg begins on 15 April in New York.

Oliver O’Connell28 March 2024 21:15

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Pressure mounts on Mike Johnson as Zelensky says he thanked GOP leader in private call

John Bowden reports from Washington, DC:

Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, related the conversation on Twitter and thanked Speaker Mike Johnson for his and the US’s “critical support of Ukraine since the start of Russia‘s full-scale invasion”. He also described briefing the Speaker on an uptick in Russian missile, bombing and drone attacks in the weeks since funding for Ukraine’s defence has stalled in Congress.

Oliver O’Connell28 March 2024 21:00

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Full story: Capitol police officer slams ‘opportunistic grifter’ as Trump hails ‘law and order’ at NYPD cop’s wake

Mr Diller was shot and killed as he was doing traffic stops this week. On Monday, he approached a car that was illegally parked with a fellow officer. The suspects in the car – Lindy Jones and Guy Rivera – refused to roll down the windows or to move their car. They also didn’t show their hands when asked to. Mr Rivera then shot Mr Diller, who died after being taken to hospital.

In a statement to The Independent on Thursday, Mr Gonell said of Mr Trump:

Oliver O’Connell28 March 2024 20:49

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Watch: House Democrats continue to slam GOP’s Biden impeachment inquiry as circus

When the White House was asked for comment on the invitation for President Joe Biden to testify, they directed reporters to the following tweet from Ian Sams, White House spokesman for oversight and investigations, posted last week:

Oliver O’Connell28 March 2024 20:42

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Biden praises ‘principled, steadfast … friend’ Joe Lieberman following news of death

Statement from President Joe Biden on the Passing of Former US Senator Joe Lieberman

Joe Lieberman and I served together in the U.S. Senate for 20 years. He was principled, steadfast, and unafraid to stand up for what he thought was right. He was a friend.

Joe’s fierce spirit of independence is the essence of the American story. He was the grandson of immigrants; his dad ran a small business; and Joe was the first in his family to graduate from college. After law school, he quickly left a law firm job for a life of public service.

As a leader in Connecticut’s legislature, as state Attorney General, and as a committed Senate colleague, Joe championed the environment, gun safety, and reproductive freedom. He wrote landmark legislation repealing discriminatory restrictions on LGBTQ Americans serving in our military. He played a key role in the creation of the Department of Homeland Security in the wake of 9/11. And his historic bid for the Vice Presidency, as the first Jewish candidate on a major party ticket, took our nation one step closer to realizing the full promise of America.

Joe believed in a shared purpose of serving something bigger than ourselves. He lived the values of his faith as he worked to repair the wounds of the world. And he did so with his beloved family by his side – his dear Hadassah, and his wonderful children and grandchildren.

Jewish liturgy says of “those who serve the needs of the community faithfully, may God grant them their reward.” Our hearts today are with the Lieberman family, and with those who loved Joe across Connecticut and across our nation, which he served faithfully for so long.

Oliver O’Connell28 March 2024 20:30

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House Oversight committee invites Biden to testify

The House Oversight Committee has sent President Joe Biden an invitation to testify before Congress on 16 April regarding the flailing Republican-led impeachment inquiry against him that has turned up no evidence of crimes or wrongdoing.

The letter asks him to attend “in light of the yawning gap between your public statements and the evidence assembled by the Committee, as well as the White House’s obstruction”.

Oliver O’Connell28 March 2024 20:26

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Jan 6 Capitol police officer speaks out over Trump appearance at NYPD officer’s wake

Retired Capitol Police Sgt Aqulino Gonell commented on Donald Trump’s appearance at the wake of slain NYPD officer Jonathan Diller: “This is the same person who calls the rioters ‘patriots, political prisoners, and hostages’ instead of calling them for what they are…convicted criminals…

“…Imagine Trump calling the criminal who killed this officer in NYC ‘a hostage’ or anything but a criminal. That’s what he is doing to the Jan 6 criminals who beat officers and breach the Capitol…

“The death of the officer in NY is tragic and reminds all of us of the sacrifices and commitment the men and women in uniform make every day… I hope the full extent of the law is applied to bring this officer’s killer to justice.”

Oliver O’Connell28 March 2024 20:20

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Marjorie Taylor Greene named as Mayorkas impeachment manager

This comes after Ms Greene filed a motion to vacate after Mr Johnson made a deal with Democrats to fund the government until late September.

Gustaf Kilander has the details:

Oliver O’Connell28 March 2024 20:15

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