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The Texas Tribune is your source for in-depth reporting on the Ken Paxton impeachment trial. Readers make that possible. Support authoritative Texas journalism with a donation now.

WASHINGTON Former President Donald Trump is claiming credit for Attorney General Ken Paxtons acquittal.

Posting on his Truth Social platform Monday, Trump claimed that his sporadic defenses on social media for his long-time ally helped sway the course of Paxtons impeachment trial.

Yes, it is true that my intervention through TRUTH SOCIAL saved Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton from going down at the hands of Democrats and some Republicans, headed by PAUL RINO (Ryan), Karl Rove, and others, almost all of whom came back to reason when confronted with the facts, Trump said, naming checking former U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan and former White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove.

Neither Republican had a formal role in the impeachment process, though Rove penned a Wall Street Journal op-ed prophesying Paxtons demise.

Paxton was impeached over allegations that he abused his office to help Austin real estate investor Nate Paul in exchange for personal favors. The Texas House voted on a bipartisan basis to impeach Paxton in May.

But Paxtons impeachment trial ended Saturday with acquittal on all 16 charges. Trump celebrated the verdict shortly after, praising Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who presided over the Senate trial, and calling for the removal of Republican House Speaker Dade Phelan. Trump, who is the only twice-impeached president in U.S. history, dismissed the charges against Paxton as political persecution.

That was the former presidents only public statement about the impeachment during the Senate trial. When the House voted to impeach Paxton in May, Trump posted on his social media site denouncing the proceedings and promising to target Republicans who turned against Paxton.

Paxton and Trump have long been closely aligned on policy, with the attorney general leading a lawsuit in 2020 to challenge the results of that years election in Trumps favor. The Supreme Court swiftly threw out the lawsuit.

Paxton has also led a host of lawsuits against the Biden administration, ranging from attempting to toss the Affordable Care Act to challenging the constitutionality of a federal funding package. Trump also endorsed Paxton in his 2022 reelection primary, even as other Republicans including former U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Tyler, and former Land Commissioner George P. Bush courted the former presidents support.

Ken has been a great A.G., and now he can go back to work for the wonderful people of Texas. It was my honor to have helped correct this injustice! Trumps Monday post continued.

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Donald Trump claims credit for saving Ken Paxton - The Texas Tribune

At 25, former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson put her reputation on the line as she calmly spoke in a televised congressional hearing about President Donald Trump's alleged behavior in the final days of his administration, including on Jan. 6, 2021 the day that a violent mob of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol.

Once loyal to the president, Hutchinson tells PEOPLE she underwent a "moral tug of war" in the year and a half between the insurrection and her public testimony, believing that the Trump administration herself included was responsible for what she calls "the most destructive force that our democracy has faced in modern times, if not in American history."

Candace Dane Chambers

In an exclusive excerpt from Hutchinson's new memoir, Enough, she describes the immediate backlash that followed her testimony, when Trump loyalists many of whom she considered friends turned their backs on her, and the former president unleashed his ire.

"The pushback from Trump defenders is picking up speed, the attacks led by Trump himself, whose insults are getting cruder," she remembers in the excerpt. "I tried to mentally prepare for breaking with Trump World. I know how they curate vile attacks on their detractors. I was once part of that process."

As the insults drag on, she writes, "I learn how it feels to be on the other side. But I know enough not to react. That's what he wants me to do. He wants me to be defensive. He wants to know when hes hurt someone or gotten a rise out of them; he wants to project his hurt onto the source of it."

She continues in the memoir: "Trump doesnt care if you dispute him or call him a liar. Only silence bothers him. Being ignored drives him mad."

Trump posted on his social media site Truth Social several times after Hutchinson's testimony, seemingly trying to distance himself from her and poke holes in her credibility.

"I hardly know who this person, Cassidy Hutchinson, is, other than I heard very negative things about her (a total phony and 'leaker')," Trump wrote in one post, adding, "She is bad news!"

In another post, he wrote, "Her body language is that of a total bull.... artist. Fantasy Land!"

Shealah Craighead/The White House

In conversation with PEOPLE ahead of her memoir's release, Hutchinson now very familiar with being on the receiving end of hate says that when others hurl insults, it's ultimately on them to self-reflect.

"As much as the attacks can hurt at points, they say more about somebody's character," she explains of her thinking. "And if somebody wants to attack the way that they come off in the book, I'm not going to hold myself responsible for what they may say about the way that they're framed, because I'm holding them accountable to their own actions."

Simon and Schuster

Hutchinson who still considers herself a Republican after everything that transpired boldly declares that she still has "faith in Washington," but notes that she's disappointed with the direction that Trump's aggression has taken her party.

"There's been a dramatic shift in Republican politics, where the vitriol and rhetoric that he has amplified has become normalized. And violence isn't just talked about, but it's encouraged," she says.

To combat the ugliness, she hopes to use her platform to "build bridges" and "restore a sense of decency and accountability in our political system."

"This is a critical moment for us to be able to educate people, and that's sort of how I see my role right now: having constructive and difficult conversations with Republicans and with Democrats about how we all need to come together," she says. "The proliferation of lies and disinformation has to stop at some point. We have to say, Enough."

For more on Cassidy Hutchinson's life after testifying,subscribe now to PEOPLEor pick up this week's issue, on newsstands Friday.

Originally posted here:
Cassidy Hutchinson Refuses to Respond to Donald Trump's Insults ... - PEOPLE

In two of those states, Daines recruits have spoken critically of Trump: David McCormick, who will launch his campaign in Pennsylvania this week, and Mike Rogers in Michigan. The campaign chairman said hes optimistic the president will see they are the strongest candidates in their respective primary fields. Rogers could face former Rep. Peter Meijer, who lost reelection in 2022 after voting to impeach Trump something Daines appeared to suggest could be an issue.

Can he win a primary and a general election? Thats always the question, Daines said of Meijer. Mike Rogers is best positioned to be able to do both.

The Daines/Trump alliance gives Trump an ally in Senate leadership and possibly recruits that can boost the ticket in tough battleground states like Pennsylvania and Michigan. In turn, Trumps team is focused most on helping in red states that will determine control of the Senate and make Daines a successful chairman, according to a person close to the campaign.

You get a lot of cross winds in that job at the state and at the national level, but I give him high marks, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), a former two-term NRSC chair, said of Daines. In West Virginia and Montana and Ohio we have a good shot regardless of who is at the top of the ticket.

The former president is fond of Daines, and believes him to be discreet and a straight shooter, according to the person close to the Trump campaign. He uses him as a sounding board on political and policy matters. Their staffs talk often and Daines praised Trump operatives Susie Wiles, Brian Jack and Chris LaCivita.

Theyre a seasoned and savvy political team and we have frequent conversations, he said. The objective is winning and we always bring it back to that.

Democrats are skeptical. Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.), a vice-chair at Democrats campaign arm, deadpanned of Trump: Hes not the most reliable partner.

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The Republican linchpin between Mitch McConnell, Donald Trump ... - POLITICO

A former assistant to Donald J. Trump has informed investigators that the former president told her to say she did not know anything about the boxes containing classified documents that he had stashed at his private club in Florida after leaving the White House, according to a person briefed on her comments.

The assistant, Molly Michael, who worked for Mr. Trump in the area outside the Oval Office and then in his post-presidential office, told the investigators about Mr. Trumps comments when she was interviewed as part of the inquiry into his handling of sensitive government documents.

You dont know anything about the boxes, Mr. Trump told Ms. Michael when he learned that federal officials wanted to talk to her in the case. Her account was first reported by ABC News and was confirmed by the person briefed on her comments.

Ms. Michael also told investigators that Mr. Trump would write notes to himself on documents that he gave her listing tasks he wanted done. She later realized that in some cases the documents had classified markings, the person briefed on her comments said. The specific nature of the documents in question remained unclear, the person said.

These illegal leaks are coming from sources which totally lack proper context and relevant information, said Steven Cheung, a spokesman for Mr. Trump. The Department of Justice should investigate the criminal leaking, instead of perpetrating their baseless witch hunts.

Ms. Michael could not be reached for comment.

The revelations about Ms. Michaels discussions with investigators were the latest to show the scale and nature of the evidence gathered by federal prosecutors working on the classified documents case. Mr. Trump stands accused of illegally holding on to dozens of highly sensitive national security records after leaving office and of conspiring with two aides at Mar-a-Lago, his club and residence in Florida, to obstruct the governments repeated attempts to get them back.

Ms. Michael is one of at least two witnesses who could be called to testify at Mr. Trumps trial in the documents case and present the jury with evidence that the former president sought in some way to obstruct the governments investigation.

In July, another potential witness in the case, Yuscil Taveras, one of Mr. Trumps information technology workers, reached a cooperation deal with the government and told investigators that the property manager at Mar-a-Lago asked him, at Mr. Trumps request, to delete from a computer server security footage that the government was seeking as part of its inquiry.

Ms. Michaels account about Mr. Trump writing notes on classified material did not appear to be directly related to any of the specific charges he is facing in the case. But the information could be used at trial to portray the former president as treating sensitive government documents recklessly or carelessly.

Her remarks could also be used to reinforce that Mr. Trump was trying to keep people from sharing information about the boxes with investigators.

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Trump Is Said to Have Told Aide Not to Acknowledge She Knew of ... - The New York Times

Photo: John Moore/Getty Images

Since Donald Trump announced he would run for the presidency in 2024, his wife, Melania, has skipped almost all of his political events. Presumably, this fact has no impact on voters candidate preferences, but as most of Trumps GOP rivals have decided theyre not going to criticize him for his MAGA policies or for getting indicted four times, its basically all theyve got. Thus someone tried to embarrass Trump at an Iowa football game earlier this month by flying a Wheres Melania? banner over the stadium and distributing Missing posters featuring the former First Lady. (Trump suggested on Truth Social that he blames Ron DeSantis, but its unclear whos responsible.)

Trump ignored these pranks at the time, but he couldnt avoid questions about his wifes whereabouts for long. In two interviews released on Thursday, Trump insisted he actually digs Melanias general I really dont care, do u? vibe, even though it leaves people with the impression that she doesnt like him all that much.

In an interview for theMegyn Kelly Showpodcast, the former Fox News host asked Trump how Melania is doing since we havent seen a lot of her lately. Shes doing very well. Shes very strong. Very even-keeled, Trump replied. And shes a very good woman, as you know.

He went on to brag that his wife was a very popular First Lady (among his supporters) and that she was on the cover of Vogue before she met him (which is false she appeared on the cover in 2005 wearing her wedding dress). He lamented that Melania took a lot of flak for her questionable Christmas dcor and couldnt book Vogue covers after he entered politics. Its so sad, but she doesnt care, he commented.

Then, without further prompting from Kelly, Trump offered this detailed, heartwarming anecdote about how his wife of 18 years actually doesnt hate him:

Shes a very calm person. Its very interesting. And I think thats what people like about her. Our dinners are nice. Dinners are like other peoples dinners. We get along. We actually get along very well.

So what is it that people misunderstand about her, Kelly wondered. Following a long tangent about Barbara Walterss desire to interview Greta Garbo, Trump said its that Melania doesnt crave positive media attention.

Shes introspective, Trump said. She doesnt need to be interviewed by you to get ripped apart for no reason. She doesnt need to be out there. Shes got confidence. Shes got a lot of self-confidence.

Its pretty clear at this point that Melania doesnt give a damn about media narratives. But will Trump supporters ever see their favorite First Lady on the campaign trail again? Kelly didnt get a clear answer out of the former president, but new Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker fared a little better: In their interview, Trump shed some light on Melanias whereabouts (Shes right now with Barron at school) and promised shell be with us on the trail.

When might this be happening? Welker asked.

Emm, soon? Yeah, pretty soon, Trump replied warily. When its appropriate. But pretty soon. Shes a private person. A great person. Very confident person. And she loves our country very much. At the appropriate time, shell be out there.

Trump then seemed to realize that soon is too specific an answer when it comes to Melania. Honestly, I like to keep her away from it, he added. Its so nasty and so mean.

So it turns out Melania isnt in hiding because she hates her husband but because she hates us. If we wanted to see more of her, we shouldve been a little nicer about her frightening holiday dcor.

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Donald Trump Reveals He and Melania 'Actually Get Along' - New York Magazine