Here's the latest from the 2024 campaign trail:
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- With the New Hampshire primary five days away, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley made several stops in the state ahead of her televised town hall on CNN.
- Former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis did not have any campaign events scheduled. They will both return to New Hampshire tomorrow.
- A new tracking poll out of the Granite State showed Trump maintaining his lead ahead of Tuesday's primary.
- President Joe Biden traveled to Raleigh, N.C., to promote his economic agenda.
Why Trump is likely to have more leeway for outbursts in criminal trials
A federal judge threatened to kick Trump out of a civil trial yesterday. The judges overseeing his criminal cases this year might be less inclined to issue similar ultimatums.
The challenge facing judges in Trump’s four criminal trials is the need to balance potential outbursts against specific legal rights for criminal defendants, according to legal experts.
Criminal defendants have the constitutional right to be present at their trials — a right not as absolute in civil cases. While judges can still boot defendants during criminal proceedings if their conduct is deemed bad enough, they may be warier about wading into that territory.
While speaking on the issue of racism in America, Haley said, “We’ve never been a racist country.” This comes as Haley has faced backlash over comments regarding the history of race in the U.S. while on the campaign trail.
State Democrats are leading on abortion policy. D.C. Democrats don’t want to get left behind.
After several successful state efforts to codify abortion access, Democrats are marking the 51st anniversary of the defunct Roe v. Wade ruling with an all-out reproductive freedom campaign — in an election year when abortion rights could once again help determine the balance of power in Washington.
Senate Democrats held a briefing on abortion access yesterday focusing on the impact of state abortion bans. More than half of the Democratic caucus, including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, heard from and questioned medical professionals and experts.
Vice President Kamala Harris is gearing up for a national tour next week to champion the issue of abortion, a sign of how the Biden campaign plans to put a big focus on reproductive access and efforts to restrict abortion in Republican state legislatures.
And while Democrats in Washington are largely stuck on the issue in the face of a GOP-controlled House and a 60-vote threshold to overcome filibusters in the Senate, they are looking to the success of abortion-rights advocates in the states as a model for how they can better message, campaign and, they hope, eventually legislate on the issue.
Haley defends earlier remarks that U.S. has never been a racist country
Haley defended comments tonight that she made on Fox News earlier this week that America has "never" been a racist country.
Haley was repeatedly pressed about the comments during CNN's town hall and she responded by saying that the Founding Fathers had good intentions.
"I think the intent, the intent was to do the right thing," Haley said. "I don't think the intent was ever that we were going to be a racist country. The intent was—everybody was going to be created equally."
Haley also said that issues stemming from inequality continue to be worked out over time.
"But I truly believe our Founding Fathers had the best of intentions when they started, and we fixed it along the way," Haley said. "And we should always look at it that way."
Haley is facing new attacks over her border proposals as the New Hampshire primary looms. Meanwhile, Trump is promising to replace what he calls Biden’s lax border policies with a tougher approach.
Judge rejects Trump request to hold Jack Smith in contempt in election interference case
The judge overseeing the federal election interference case against Trump has rejected his request to hold special counsel Jack Smith and his office in contempt.
Earlier this month, attorneys for Trump asked U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan to hold Smith in contempt for filing motions while the case is stayed pending Trump’s appeal on presidential immunity grounds.
Haley disputes Trump's immunity claims: 'There needs to be accountability'
Haley said tonight that a president isn’t entitled to act with complete freedom and without accountability while in office.
The remark came when CNN's Jake Tapper asked Haley during tonight's town hall to weigh in on Trump's claims that he should have blanket immunity for his actions as president, including those related to Jan. 6.
"Common sense" should be used, Haley said.
"Obviously, if a president is doing something, and it's related to you know, whether it's terrorist threats, or something like that, and people die, that's one thing," she said. "But do you get just total freedom to do whatever you want? No, that's never the way it was intended to be. There needs to be accountability. No one is above the law."
Trump, awaiting ruling, says presidents must have ‘complete and total’ immunity
As former Trump awaits a ruling from a federal appeals court on his broad claim of presidential immunity, he said early today that a U.S. president “must have complete and total presidential immunity.”
“A president of the United States must have full immunity, without which it would be impossible for him/her to properly function,” Trump said in a lengthy post on Truth Social in all caps. “Any mistake, even if well intended, would be met with almost certain indictment by the opposing party at term end. Even events that ‘cross the line’ must fall under total immunity, or it will be years of trauma trying to determine good from bad.”
Haley brushes off Trump's name-calling at CNN town hall
During a CNN town hall in New Hampshire tonight, moderator Jake Tapper asked Haley about Trump pushing a birther conspiracy against her and misspelling her given first name, Nimarata, as "Nimrada," in a Truth Social post this week.
"I'm the proud daughter of Bamberg, South Carolina. So I love my sweet town and I'm proud to say I'm from there," Haley said.
She added that she doesn't take Trump's name-calling personally.
"I know President Trump well, that's what he does when he feels threatened. That's what he does when he feels insecure," Haley said. "I don't take these things personally. It doesn't bother me."
House Republicans set Hunter Biden deposition date for late February
Two Republican-led House committees announced on Thursday that Hunter Biden will appear for a closed-door deposition on Feb. 28 as part of their impeachment inquiry efforts into his father.
“Hunter Biden will appear before our committees for a deposition on February 28, 2024. His deposition will come after several interviews with Biden family members and associates,” said Reps. James Comer and Jim Jordan in a statement. “We look forward to Hunter Biden’s testimony.”