Judge denies Rudy Giuliani bankruptcy protection petition
A New York bankruptcy court judge today denied former President Donald Trump’s former lawyer, Rudy Giuliani,’s petition for bankruptcy protection, finding that he failed to turn over key financial information despite repeated instructions to do so.
Judge Sean Lane’s order clears the way for two former Georgia election staffers who were frequently disparaged by Giuliani after the 2020 election to begin collecting on a $146 million judgment against him.
Giuliani filed for bankruptcy in December, days after a jury awarded him nearly $150 million in damages to Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shay” Moss, for false allegations of election fraud.
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Biden’s press conference had half the viewership of the debate.
Biden’s press conference last night was watched by 25 million viewers across linear platforms, according to Nielsen data.
That would be the third-highest audience for a non-sporting event this year, but still only about half the number of more than 51 million viewers who tuned in to watch last month’s presidential debate and less than the audience for President Biden’s State of the Union address in March.
Biden’s interview with ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos last week drew 8.5 million viewers, according to Nielsen.
Biden’s next one-on-one television interview is scheduled for Monday with NBC News’ Lester Holt.
What happened when Rep. Mike Levin told Biden he should withdraw
Rep. Mike Levin (D-Calif.) privately told Biden during a video call with House Democrats today that he should drop out of the race, according to four sources familiar with the matter.
Levin paid tribute to the president’s years of service in public office and told him it was time for new leadership for the party while stressing Democrats’ eagerness to defeat Trump in November, the people said.
“That’s why I’m going out there and letting people touch me and poke me and ask me questions,” Biden said, according to a source with direct knowledge of the call, acknowledging questions being raised about his trajectory as the Democratic nominee.
Shortly after Biden joined the call, an hour later than scheduled, Levin issued a statement calling on Biden to hand over the baton, making him the 19th Democrat to call on Biden to step down.
Meta lifts ‘civil unrest’ restrictions on Trump accounts dating back to the aftermath of January 6th
Social media giant Meta has lifted special restrictions it imposed on Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts in the aftermath of the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by a group of Trump supporters.
In a statement today, the company said it was doing so because the “extraordinary circumstances” surrounding the attack and its aftermath have passed, and because it wanted to put Trump and Biden on an equal footing ahead of the November 5 election.
The restrictions are designed to give Trump more control over his followers than other Facebook and Instagram users, and they mean he will face “severe” penalties if he breaks any of the rules.
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NBC News’ Shaquill Brewster visits Milwaukee to find out how the city is preparing to host the Republican National Convention in 2024.
Biden campaign officials say the team is not recommending withdrawal.
A Biden campaign official told “Meet the Press Now” today that the president maintains his intention to remain in the race in 2024 and that the campaign has not encouraged him to withdraw.
“I’m part of the president’s team, so when the president says his team won’t work with him or tell him, ‘You’re not going to win,’ it’s because we’re not working with him,” Quentin Fulks said in an interview with NBC News’ Kristen Welker. “President Biden is in this race, and our campaign is going to continue to do what we’ve been trying to do from the moment he declared for reelection. We’ve built this campaign to go into a very close race.”
Several Biden aides, including three directly involved in Biden’s reelection effort, told NBC News this week that they see zero evidence of Biden’s efforts to win the November election.
Trump and Epstein: What the so-called ‘Epstein Files’ say about their relationship
Social media has been abuzz with details about President Trump’s relationship with the late notorious pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, but the so-called Epstein Files, made public this year, contain no new revelations, even though the two men knew each other for decades.
Misleading and sensationalist claims about Trump and Epstein have been circulating online this week, circulating on Reddit and TikTok, where the hashtag #TrumpPedoFiles trended throughout Wednesday, according to Trends24.in, a website that tracks the platform. The claims were given momentum this week by Rep. Ted Lieu, a Democrat from California.
“What I’ve heard that hasn’t been reported is the Epstein file. The file has been made public. Donald Trump is very much involved in this. He has photographs with Jeffrey Epstein. He has been on planes with Epstein and young girls on multiple occasions. He’s also in the phone records with Epstein.” Liu told reporters: On Tuesday they urged an investigation into the “deeply disturbing” allegations.
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Biden to meet with Congressional Progressive Caucus tomorrow
Biden is scheduled to hold an online meeting with members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus tomorrow, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), who chairs the caucus, has expressed concern about Biden continuing to be the Democratic presidential nominee, and many in the caucus are also conflicted about Biden’s support for Israel in its war against Hamas.
A source familiar with the matter said the prime minister is due to meet with the more moderate New Democrat coalition following his talks with the progressives.
Republican Convention announces non-election speaker supporting Trump
Republicans will likely rely on lesser-known speakers to pitch themes and narratives at next week’s Republican National Convention, along with elected officials and President Trump.
The list of more than 20 “ordinary American” speakers obtained by NBC News includes many immigrants and black Americans — part of Trump’s ongoing effort to infiltrate groups that oppose the Republican Party. Many of the speakers will argue that Biden is to blame for the challenges they face, including the fallout from the fentanyl crisis, economic hardship and domestic divisions over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Many of the speakers are experienced political activists and have run for local or state office, including several former Democrats who voted for Biden in 2020.
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President Trump announces when he will select his running mate, announces four finalists
Trump said he wanted to announce his running mate next week, possibly during the Republican National Convention, and named four key allies as possible candidates.
“I’d love to do it during the convention, like on a Monday or maybe just before the convention. I’d really love to do it on a Tuesday or a Wednesday, but there’s a lot of complicated reasons, as you know, that make it almost impossible,” Trump said on “The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show.”
Trump is in no rush to announce his running mate, happy to cede the spotlight to Democrats who are reeling from Biden’s poor debate performance. Former President Biden is scheduled to hold a rally in western Pennsylvania tomorrow evening.
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