Trump news today: Trump outstrips nearest Republican rival DeSantis by 30 points in latest poll – ofbut news

Donald Trump remains under the scrutiny of prosecutors across the country over a wide range of issues, and at the same time appears to be solidifying his dominance over the 2024 Republican primary field.

The former president led in two polls of crucial early primary-season states commissioned and released by Fox News on Sunday. Mr Trump has an impressive 30-point gap separating him from his nearest competitor, Florida Gov Ron DeSantis, who himself has been making an aggressive play for the state and seeking to align himself politically with Kim Reynolds, the state’s Republican governor.

Mr Trump has done so by sticking to his traditional style of insult first, ask questions later — even fuming openly at Ms Reynolds on his Truth Social platform for not endorsing his candidacy outright.

The twice indicted, twice impeached ex-president also leads the pack in South Carolina, where his closest rival is the state’s former governor, Nikki Haley; she trails him by 34 points in the Fox survey.

After watching “Sound of Freedom,” the movie associated with QAnon, former president Donald Trump said that he would require the death penalty for “anyone caught trafficking children across our border.”

Kelly Rissman has the story.

Another day, another wrench thrown into the Republican presidential primary. On Friday, US District Judge Aileen Cannon issued an order announcing Donald Trump’s court date for his trial for charges related to the Espionage Act and obstruction of justice will take place on 20 May 2024.

On the surface, that might make Mr Trump wince because of the fact that it denies his request to delay the trial until after the 2024 presidential election. Still, it means that Mr Trump’s legal troubles will make him the centre of attention within the GOP primary and his court case will entirely define that contest as well as the general election.

Here’s how the Mar-a-Lago classified papers case against Donald Trump unfolded and what charges he now faces.

Aileen Cannon, a federal judge with the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida overseeing the Espionage Act and obstruction of justice case against Mr Trump, has rejected the disgraced ex-president’s bid to delay his trial until after the 2024 election.

Judge Cannon issued an order on 21 July granting the government’s request to set a speedy trial date and schedule for pretrial motions, with a start date of 20 May 2024.

Joe Sommerlad explains her involvement in the case.

For Americans who lived through the 1990s, the words “Clinton” and “Socks” may bring to mind a whimsical image of a certain famous feline, of the black-and-white tuxedo variety, who prowled the most prestigious halls of American power at a time when the US was emerging as the world’s sole unchallenged superpower.

Andrew Feinberg explains.

Donald Trump accused former president George HW Bush of hiding classified documents in a “bowling alley” during a rally in Arizona on Sunday 9 October 2022.

The blustering Republican said that Bush Sr “took millions and millions of documents to a former bowling alley pieced together with what was then an old and broken Chinese restaurant”.

Maroosha Muzaffar has the story.

The 45th president of the United States appeared in federal court in Miami on 13 June where he pleaded not guilty to all 37 counts. Should he ultimately be convicted, he could face a maximum combined sentence of 100 years in prison.

Joe Sommerlad takes us through a timeline of the case.