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Former President Donald Trump, who was indicted earlier this month in New York on charges related to hush money to an adult film star, and is campaigning to return to the White House in 2024, spoke for an hour before a crowd at the 2023 NRA Convention in Indianapolis Friday.

Trump was the final speaker at the NRAs Institute for Legislative Action that also featured Mike Pence, the former vice president and Indiana governor.

Here are takeaways from Trumps speech.

More: Takeaways from former Vice President Mike Pence's speech at the NRA convention

More: Indiana Republican politicians react, cry foul after Donald Trump indictment

During his remarks, Trump gave shoutouts to Indiana elected officials: U.S. Rep. Jim Banks, who is running for Senate, Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, who is running for governor, and Attorney General Todd Rokita, who is running for reelection.

He especially highlighted Banks.

Hes so popular now, Trump said. Hes unopposed. We like it that way.

Trump did not mention Gov. Eric Holcomb or U.S. Sen. Mike Braun, who also both gave speeches at the event. Braun also is running for governor in 2024 and praised Trump during his remarks.

Trump mentioned several times the weaponization of government agencies to attack him.

He said if he were elected he would direct the DOJ to investigate every radical DA and Attorney General.

A day after he was deposed in Manhattan as part of a lawsuit by New York Attorney General and Democrat Letitia James regarding allegations of fraud by Trump, the former president called James a radical left lunatic attorney general.

Trump was indicted in New York earlier this month with 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal information from voters ahead of the 2016 election, according to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggs office.

Trump referred to the Manhattan DA and the indictment as witch hunts.

Trump acknowledged that the crowd booed Pence, Trumps former vice president, earlier in the program, which made news.

I hope you gave Pence a good, warm approval, Trump said. He is a nice man if you really want to know the truth.

Trump several times criticized RINOs, referring to Republicans in name only. Trump said these types of Republicans are worse than Democrats.

The RINOs are worse because you dont know where theyre coming from. The Democrats, you know where theyre coming from and its not a good place, Trump said.

He specifically called out his former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr, who he called a RINO.

He was a disaster, Trump said.

Trump addressed the Nashville, Tenn. mass shooting at a private school at the end of March saying it is essential to harden our assets to protect our children.

Trump said he would create a new tax credit to reimburse teachers for the full cost of a concealed carry firearm and training from highly-qualified experts.

On March 27, an armed person killed six people on the campus of a private school in a neighborhood of Nashville.

Trump said the country needs to change its approach to mental health and offered ideas for solutions.

The former president said he would convene an FDA panel to investigate whether transgender hormone treatments and ideology increase the risk of extreme depression, aggression and even violence.

I think most of us already know the answer, definitely, Trump said.

He also said there should be an investigation into common psychiatric drugs and genetically engineered cannabis and other narcotics that may be causing psychotic breaks.

Contact IndyStar's Carmel and Westfield reporter Brittany Carloni at brittany.carloni@indystar.com or 317-779-4468. Follow her on Twitter@CarloniBrittany.

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Takeaways from Donald Trump's remarks at the 2023 NRA ... - IndyStar

Donald Trump was indicted recently on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records but New York City prosecutor Alvin Bragg's case against the former president faces significant legal hurdles, experts told Fox News Digital.

The 2024 Republican presidential candidate pleaded not guilty to the raft of accusations against him and has characterized the legal offensive as a politically motivated witch hunt.

"If it wasnt Donald Trump, no prosecutor in the world would have touched this," said former assistant district attorney Daniel Bibb, who spent more than two decades trying murder cases in Manhattan. "If you and I did what Trump did, we never would have been charged."

Trump is the first former or current U.S. president to be indicted for a crime, but the case is more half-court heave than slam dunk, experts say.

TRUMP SLAMS NYAG JAMES' 'RIDICULOUS' CASE, SAYS SHE SHOULD 'FOCUS ON PEOPLE WHO KILL PEOPLE' AS CRIME SPIKES

New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg, right, had been investigating former President Donald Trump for alleged hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.

The indictment uses a novel legal theory and relies heavily on the testimony of the presidents former fixer Michael Cohen, a disbarred attorney and convicted liar.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Trump is accused of falsifying internal business records when he had Cohen arrange a $130,000 hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign to keep her quiet about an alleged sexual encounter. He has denied the affair.

Cohen, then an employee of the Trump Organization, used a shell corporation to pay off Daniels one month before the election.

After Trumps victory, Cohen was reimbursed $420,000 disguised as payments for legal services rendered pursuant to a phony retainer agreement. The figure included the tax hed have to pay on the income and a $60,000 bonus.

TRUMP SUES FORMER ATTORNEY MICHAEL COHEN FOR $500 MILLION

Bragg has argued that this payment was an illegal campaign contribution because it wasnt disclosed and exceeded the amount allowed under federal law.

Cohen was convicted in 2018 of federal charges, including campaign-finance violations, for arranging hush-money payments to Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who also claims she had an affair with Trump, which he has denied.

Story continues

A few months later, Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress.

After serving a stint in prison, Cohen grabbed a pen and wrote a book blasting Trump as "a cheat, a mobster, a liar, a fraud, a bully, a racist, a predator, a con man" and has continued to attack the former president in countless media interviews.

"If Michael Cohen told you today was Wednesday would you believe that unless you looked at your own calendar?" former Manhattan prosecutor turned criminal defense lawyer Mark Bederow told Fox News Digital.

STORMY DANIELS ON WATCHING TRUMP INDICTMENT: THE KING HAS BEEN DETHRONED

Bederow added that prosecutors would likely also have to call Daniels to the stand, who could be perceived by some as an unsympathetic opportunist.

She has repeatedly made contradictory statements to the press and has shown an insatiable appetite for media attention, the attorney said.

To bump up the misdemeanor charge of falsifying business records to a felony, the indictment alleges that Trump intended to commit or conceal a second crime.

The indictment doesnt state what this second crime is, and Bragg said at a press conference he isnt legally required to disclose it.

TRUMP LEGAL BATTLES CONTINUE, EVEN AFTER MANHATTAN DA CHARGES

But Bragg, when asked by a reporter, implied that Trump violated state and federal campaign finance and tax laws.

"The bottom line is that its murky," said Richard Hasen, an expert in election law and professor at the University of California, Los Angeles law school. "And the district attorney did not offer a detailed legal analysis as to how they can do this."

He added that it is not clear whether a case can be brought in state court if it involves a federal election law.

MANHATTAN DA ALVIN BRAGG SUES REP. JIM JORDAN OVER TRUMP INDICTMENT SUBPOENAS

At the press conference, Bragg suggested that Trump may have also violated a New York election law that makes it illegal to conspire to promote a candidate by unlawful means, and that he lied to state tax authorities when he mischaracterized the reimbursements to Cohen as income.

"If you bring an unprecedented case like this against a former president and current presidential candidate, its essential for the credibility of the criminal justice system to present a clear and cogent explanation of your theory as opposed to saying 'I dont have to tell you,'" Bederow said.

"If you come at the king, you best not miss," he said, quoting the HBO hit "The Wire."

Had Bragg charged Trump with 34 misdemeanor counts of falsifying business records, it would have been a breeze, said Bederow.

"It appears overwhelming that the way this was structured in terms of payments to Cohen as legal fees is false," he said.

But the misdemeanor charges werent an option because the "two-year statute of limitations has 100%, no doubt, expired," Bederow added, referring to the window of time prosecutors have to initiate a criminal case.

Former President Donald Trump departs Trump Tower on Thursday. Trump was scheduled to appear before New York State Attorney General Letitia James for a deposition that morning.

The time restraint on the felony charge is five years and appears to have passed, but this calculation isnt straightforward.

New York law has a provision called tolling, which stops the clock whenever a defendant leaves the state. If Trump was in Washington, D.C., or Florida, those periods of time arent counted. COVID-19 also paused the statute of limitations for a significant period of time.

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

While Braggs case may have some challenges, he does enjoy a vital edge, Bederow said.

"This is Manhattan, so the DA has an overwhelming home-court advantage," the attorney told Fox News Digital of the solidly blue borough. "If you put Donald Trump on trial for the Kennedy assassination, a Manhattan jury would probably find he's the guy in the grassy knoll."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Donald Trump's NYC case may be headed in only one direction, former prosecutors reveal - Yahoo News

Trump claims NYC courthouse staff were crying when he was arrested

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Ron DeSantis supporters are going after Donald Trump in a new political ad, criticising the former president for campaigning against fellow Republicans and for discussing potential cuts to entitlement programmes.

A super PAC supporting the Florida governor released a new television ad accusing Mr Trump of spending airtime and money attacking the likely Republican presidential candidate.

Why is he spending millions attacking the Republican governor of Florida? Trumps stealing pages from the Biden-Pelosi playbook, the ads narrator asks.

While tensions mount between the two men pitted to be key rivals for the Republican vote in 2024, Mr Trump is also weighing in on Fox News defamation case with Dominion Voting Systems.

In an early morning Truth Social post on Monday, the former president falsely claimed Dominion's lawsuit would be weakened if the network stands by his 2020 presidential election lies.

In other news, financial disclosures with the Federal Election Commission show Mr Trump raked in millions after news of his criminal indictment and his prediction of his arrest last month.

Filings also reveal that he made more than $5m from speaking engagements, between $100,000 and $1m with his NFT scheme and less than $200 from Truth Social.

California Democratic Rep Adam Schiff had a few thoughts on Jim Jordans away day in New York City this morning.

Jim Jordans attempt to intimidate the Manhattan DA is another effort to place the former president above the law. And undermine the interests of justice. It wont succeed, but then that is not the point. Blind loyalty to the disgraced former president is all that matters.

Rep Adam Schiff

Oliver O'Connell17 April 2023 21:50

Senator Mitch McConnell is back in the Senate after recovering from a concussion and a broken rib sustained during a fall.

Its good to be back. I want to thank all my colleagues for their warm wishes shared over the past few weeks, he told the upper chamber of Congress. This wasnt the first time that being hardheaded has served me very well.

Heres what happened to Mr McConnell:

Oliver O'Connell17 April 2023 21:25

One thing is clear from this mornings theatre at the New York Stock Exchange: Democrats want to avoid defaulting on our countrys debts. Meanwhile, Speaker McCarthy continues to bumble our economy towards a catastrophic default.

Senator Chuck Schumer

Oliver O'Connell17 April 2023 21:05

Its happening, GOP Rep George Santos is officially running for re-election in New Yorks 3rd District.

The controversial congressman made the announcement on Twitter on Monday afternoon. He is the subject of ongoing investigations at the local, state, and federal levels, and there have been numerous calls for him to resign.

Oliver O'Connell17 April 2023 20:57

Donald Trumps personal financial disclosure reports with the Federal Election Commission offer the first public glimpse into his earnings and financial state since leaving the White House in 2021.

Alex Woodward took a look at the details.

Oliver O'Connell17 April 2023 20:45

Senator John Fetterman has returned to Capitol Hill for the first time since mid-February after treatment for clinical depression.

Oliver O'Connell17 April 2023 20:20

A super PAC supporting Florida Governor Ron DeSantis released a television ad attacking former President Donald Trump, accusing him of spending airtime and money attacking the likely Republican presidential candidate.

Donald Trump is being attacked by a Democrat prosecutor in New York, the ads narrator says. So why is he spending millions attacking the Republican governor of Florida? Trumps stealing pages from the Biden-Pelosi playbook.

Oliver O'Connell17 April 2023 20:00

Monday lunchtime on Truth Social, and former President Donald Trump has hit out at his favourite foe, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

This time the topic was the Second Amendment, with the former president disputing Mr DeSantiss claim in an ad that he was aligned with Democrats over the issue of gun rights.

Wow, thats like Democrat Disinformation! he wrote, also claiming that Ron DeSanctus didnt attend the NRA Convention over the weekend in person because he was concerned about being booed.

And heres what got him wound up:

Oliver O'Connell17 April 2023 19:35

The Secret Service is investigating reports of a single shot that was fired near the US Naval Observatory which is the home of Vice President Kamala Harris and First Gentleman Doug Emhoff.

Officers with the Secret Service Uniformed Division responded to the reports around 1.30 am EST on Monday according to a report from NBC News.

Oliver O'Connell17 April 2023 19:10

Let the public in, a group of protesters shouted from the hallway located directly outside of the room where Mr Jordan and the House Judiciary Committee held their meeting on Monday,

Outside of the Jacob Javits Federal Building in downtown Manhattan, another group of protesters chanted, Hey hey, ho, ho, Jim Jordans got to go.

Ariana Baio reports from New York City.

Oliver O'Connell17 April 2023 18:50

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Trump news today: Judge rejects delay in E Jean Carroll rape trial as DeSantis PAC launches ad against Trump - The Independent

Donald Trump

The court said that Trump himself provoked some of the publicity and cannot claim prejudice to delay next weeks trial start

Associated Press in New York

Mon 17 Apr 2023 14.03 EDT

Donald Trumps rape trial will begin next week as scheduled after a federal judge rejected a request for a one-month delay, saying the former president cannot make public statements to promote pre-trial publicity and then claim it is prejudicial to him and reason to delay.

Lewis A Kaplan, a federal judge in Manhattan, said the civil trial on claims against Trump by the columnist E Jean Carroll will begin as scheduled on 25 April. Trump denies the rape or knowing Carroll.

Kaplan rejected arguments by Trumps attorney Joe Tacopina that the former presidents recent indictment in New York state court on criminal falsification of business records charges created such negative publicity that a one-month cooling-off period was needed before the rape trial could begin.

Kaplan said: There was, of course, a great deal of media coverage some of it invited and, indeed, provoked by Mr Trump first of the apparently impending indictment, then the indictment itself, and finally the arraignment.

But the connection that Mr Trump seeks to draw between that coverage and either the need for or the effectiveness of a cooling off period is unsupported by any evidence.

Kaplan said a portion of coverage of Trumps indictment was of his own doing as the ex-president made public statements on his social media platform, in press conferences and in interviews.

It does not sit well for Mr Trump to promote pretrial publicity and then to claim that coverage that he promoted was prejudicial to him and should be taken into account as supporting a further delay, the judge said, adding that he was also concerned that the request was a delay tactic by Mr Trump.

He noted that it was not necessary to find jurors who had never heard of Trumps legal woes as long as jurors agreed to be fair and impartial.

There is no justification for an adjournment. This case is entirely unrelated to the state prosecution, Kaplan said, alluding to charges brought against Trump on the grounds that he played a role in hush money payments to two women who claimed affairs with him years before the 2016 presidential election. He has denied the affairs.

Tacopina declined comment about Kaplans ruling and whether Trump will attend the rape trial. He is required to notify Kaplan by Thursday if Trump plans to show up.

In a footnote, the judge cited other legal threats Trump faces to show that a month-long delay in the trial stemming from Carrolls lawsuit could make the climate to find a fair jury worse rather than better.

A justice department special counsel is looking into Trumps handling of classified documents, along with matters relating to the 2020 presidential election and the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. A district attorney in Fulton county, Georgia, is investigating Trumps actions after the 2020 election. The New York attorney general, Letitia James, has sued Trump, his family and his company for alleged financial wrongdoing.

Carroll sued Trump for defamation after he said she lied when she wrote in a 2019 memoir that he attacked her in the dressing room of a Manhattan department store in 1996. She brought a second lawsuit in November, after New York state allowed victims to temporarily sue over sexual assaults that occurred long ago.

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Judge rejects Trump request to delay rape trial over negative publicity - The Guardian US

Donald Trump Jr. defended beer conglomerate Anheuser-Busch on his podcast Thursday, urging listeners not to continue boycotting the company.

Trump claimed that the company was too "iconic" to continue boycotting, and that the executives have learned a lesson.

"So heres the deal. Anheuser-Busch totally sh*t the bed with this Dylan Mulvaney thing. Im not, though, for destroying an American, an iconic company for something like this," Trump Jr. said.

BUD LIGHT'S DYLAN MULVANEY CONTROVERSY HITS RURAL DISTRIBUTORS AS BRANDING GURU THINKS CONSUMERS ARE CONFUSED

A picture of the commemorative Bud Light can featuring TikTok influencer Dylan Mulvaney. (Dylan Mulvaney/Instagram)

The beer company has faced intense criticism in recent weeks following the announcement it was partnering with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

"When I actually look into it, I'm not gonna blame the whole company for the inaction or the stupidity of someone in a marketing campaign that got woke as hell," Trump said of the collaboration on Thursday.

Trump citedAnheuser-Busch's record of donating slightly more to conservative politicians than liberal ones as reason to keep buying their beer.

COUNTRY MUSIC STAR PULLS BUD LIGHT FROM NASHVILLE BAR AMID DYLAN MULVANEY PARTNERSHIP: 'THEY AREN'T ORDERING'

Anheuser-Busch set social media ablaze when beer juggernaut Bud Light celebrated transgender activist Dylan Mulvaneys "365 Days of Girlhood" with a polarizing promotion. (Instagram)

"The company itself doesnt participate in the same leftist nonsense as the other big conglomerates," Trump said. "Frankly, they dont participate in the same woke garbage that other people in the beer industry actually do, who are significantly worse offenders when I looked into it. But if they do this again, then its on them! Then, screw them."

Mulvaney, a trans activist and social media influencer who gained prominence when given an opportunity to interview President Biden about LGBTQ issues in 2022, revealed earlier this month that thebeer companysent packs of Bud Light with her face printed on the cans as part of an ad for the beer companys March Madness contest and as a way to celebrate a full year of "girlhood."

Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth published a lengthy statement Friday, hoping to tamp down the animosity aimed at Bud Light and its parent company.

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Donald Trump Jr. speaks to audience members during a campaign rally at Illuminating Technologies in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images)

"We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people. We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer," Whitworth said. "My time serving this country taught me the importance of accountability and the values upon which America was founded: freedom, hard work and respect for one another.

He added, "As CEO of Anheuser-Busch, I am focused on building and protecting our remarkable history and heritage."

The statement received criticism from both sides of the transgender issue, with social media users asking what the message was supposed to be.

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Donald Trump Jr. opposes Bud Light boycott, citing company's donations to Republicans - Fox News