Trump’s campaign war chest dwarfed by Joe Biden’s re-election fundraising – live

Donald Trump released a statement on Truth Social attacking the leadership of the United Autoworkers, the largest union representing auto manufacturing workers across the US. He also criticised electric cars, calling them a “disaster,” insisting all cars under Democratic leadership would be “made in China,” and said he would “double or triple” car manufacturing in the US.

“The United Autoworkers are being sold down the tubes by their so-called ‘leadership.’ They always support Democrats, yet they have lost 60% of car manufacturing over the years to foreign countries and that’s all been through Democrats for the most part,” Mr Trump said.

Mr Trump famously told supporters in Youngstown, Ohio — the metro area where many autoworkers at the Lordstown GM plant lived — “not to sell their houses” in 2017 because he would bring back manufacutirng.

Two years later — still during his administration — the Lordstown GM plant shut down.

GM was increasing its manufacuting facilities in other parts of the world at the time of the shut down.

Mr Trump also called electric cars a “disaster” for auto workers and for the US, and claimed they would “all be made in China.” There is no evidence that plans are in place to move electric vehicle manufacturing fully out of the US. Many manufacturers, including companies with robust American workforces like Honda, annocuned this year that they will add to their EV lineups.

Mr Trump further promised to “double or triple” car manufacturing in the US if he is elected.

He said that Shawn Fain, the president of the UAW, should endorse him rather than Joe Biden, and claimed that most of the autoworkers would vote for him anyway.

Mr Fain handed Mr Biden a major optics win when he invited the president to attend a UAW picket line.

Mr Biden accepted the invitation and became the first sitting president to stand with striking workers on a line.

The publication was referred to several times during Weisselberg’s testimony as part of the $250m civil fraud lawsuit brought against Donald Trump, his sons, his associates — including Weisselberg — and his company by the state of New York.

After appearing to back off from his attacks on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Donald Trump has found another way to insert himself into the conflict in Israel — by claiming he will defeat Hamas as he did Isis if re-elected in 2024.

The former president posted on Truth Social:

Many are using an example of “just the way ISIS was defeated in Iraq and Syria, HAMAS will likewise be defeated.” Please remember that it was the Trump Administration that defeated ISIS, and quickly, after years of futile attempts by previous administrations! Someday we will be given proper credit for all of the many successes we had. In the meantime, we will do it again in 2024! MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN

A follow-up post seemed to imply he would help out now… if only he hadn’t been indicted four times by “politically hungry prosecutors”.

Can anyone imagine that with all of the self inflicted and imposed problems that the United States is experiencing, both at home and abroad, that I am being forced to fight off politically hungry Prosecutors, Radical Left Democrats all, on the greatest political Witch Hunt of all time – All started by Crooked Joe Biden as an unprecedented attack against his Political Opponent, ME, for purposes of Election Interference, and more. What a Shame, what a Shame!!!

Michael Cohen, a former attorney turned critic of Donald Trump, will not be testifying next week in Mr Trump’s civil fraud case, according to two unnamed sources who spoke with NBC News.

“Unfortunately I need to attend to a pre-existing medical condition that impedes my ability to testify this upcoming week. Rest assured, I will testify at the earliest opportunity,” he told NBC News.

Mr Cohen’s testimony before Congress sparked New York District Attorney Letitia James’ investigation into the Trump Organisation’s financials.

Senator Lindsey Graham offered Donald Trump a bit of advice after he made a “huge mistake,” according to the lawmaker: run on supporting Israel.

During an appearance on Meet the Press, Mr Graham — who has shown unflinching support for Israel’s devastating military response to Hamas’s 7 October attack and beating the war drums for conflict with Iran — he said Mr Trump made a “huge mistake” by complimenting the Lebanse militant group Hezbollah and criticising Isreali PM Benjamin Netanyahu.

“If I were President Trump, I’d talk about being the strongest president for Israel in modern times,” Mr Graham said. “He issued a statement two days ago, ‘I stand with Bibi. I stand with Israel.’ Yeah, it was a mistake. He’s on the right track, but Biden’s administration’s border policies are failing and their policies against Iran are failing.”

Former New Jersey governor and presidential hopeful Chris Christie slammed Donald Trump during an interview on CNN, calling the former president a “fool” for calling Hezbollah “very smart” in the wake of Hamas’s attack on Israel on 7 October.

During an appearance at Club 47 in West Palm Beach, Florida, Mr Trump suggested Hezbollah, a Lebanon-based militant group operating near Israel’s northern border, were “very smart.”

“And then two nights ago, I read all of Biden security people — can you imagine?” he said. “National defense people and they said, ‘Gee, I hope Hezbollah doesn’t attack from the north because that’s the most vulnerable spot.’ I said, ‘Wait a minute. You know, Hezbollah is very smart. They’re all very smart.’”

Mr Christie said Mr Trump was “a fool” during an interview with Wolf Blitzer.

“He’s a fool. Only a fool would make those kind of comments. Only a fool would give comments that could give aid and comfort to Israel’s adversary,” Mr Christie said.

Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, who is running in the GOP presidential primary, said Donald Trump’s criticism of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu “make America look weak” in a recent interview.

Ms Haley appeared on CNN, where she condemned the former president’s comments.

She said Mr Trump’s comments were why she “continues to say its time for a new generational leader.”

“Look, [Mr Trump] congratulated the Chinese communist party not too long ago, he’s saying Hezbollah’s smart, I can tell you when I was at the United Nations … you don’t go and compliment any of them, because what that does is it makes America look weak, it doesn’t make America look strong,” she said.

A senior House GOP member told CNN’s Manu Raju that at least 20 Republican lawmakers planned to vote against Congressman Jim Jordan’s bid to become the House Speaker.

Mr Jordan, a longtime ally of Donald Trump, is the former president’s preferred pick for the position.

The move was described to Raju as a rebuke of hardline MAGA Republicans who voted to oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Mr Jordan can only afford to lose four Republican votes if he hopes to secure the 217 needed to become Speaker of the House.

Republican Congressman Mike Turner said House Republicans will have to seek a deal with Democrats if the fractured party cannot come to an agreement on who should replace Congressman Kevin McCarthy as House Speaker.

House Republicans have failed thus far to coalesce behind a new speaker. Congressman Steve Scalise floated a run but withdrew his name from consideration after he failed to rally enough support to secure the position.

Congressman Jim Jordan, Donald Trump’s preferred Speaker, is also running, but will likely be opposed by some Republicans who objected to Mr McCarthy’s removal.

If he or other Republicans can’t secure the votes, the House GOP may need to cut a deal with Democrats to restore order to the House.

Donald Trump wants voters to think RFK Jr is not a conservative heading into the 2024 presidential election, where the anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist aims to be a potential spoiler candidate.

But it’s unclear who he might spoil — Mr Kennedy’s views include everything from anti-vaccine conspiracies to support for stricter environmental regulation.

Mr Trump — and Fox News’ Sean Hannity — are making the case that Mr Kennedy is not a conservative.

“So much for RFK Jr being a conservative!” Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social alongside a video of Mr Hannity grilling Mr Kennedy on his “liberal” beliefs.

Before saying he would run as an independent, Mr Kennedy was focused on trying to primary Joe Biden as a Democrat.