Trump news – live: Judge says Roger Stone's crimes should cause 'dismay and disgust' while lambasting president for 'totally inappropriate' tweets
Donald Trump was called out for his "totally inappropriate" tweets by the judge presiding over Roger Stone's trial as she handed down a 40-month sentence for the president's longtime friend, saying his crimes should cause universal "dismay and disgust".
The president has meanwhile been live-tweeting attacks towards his Democratic 2020 rivals after the latest debates, as well as deriding them on the campaign trail in at an Arizona rally where he also called the FBI “dishonest scum” and complained that Conan, the US military’s war hero dog, “got more publicity” than him over the killing of Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Mr Trump's rally coincided with the latest primary debate in Las Vegas, Nevada, where Michael Bloomberg was attacked from all sides, with Elizabeth Warren characterising him as a “a billionaire who calls women fat broads and horse-faced lesbians”.
Mike Bloomberg’s campaign acknowledged the presidential hopeful's shortcomings during his debate performance in Las Vegas on Wednesday night, saying the candidate was “just warming up” while adding: "Mike's got to get his legs under him."
Kevin Sheekey, Mr Bloomberg’s campaign manager, said in a statement after the former New York mayor was eviscerated by his opponents on Wednesday night: “You know you are a winner when you are drawing attacks from all the candidates.”
“Everyone came to destroy Mike tonight,” he added. “It didn’t happen.”
In his statement defending Mr Bloomberg’s debate performance, Mr Sheekey said the former mayor “was just warming up tonight”. However, he later conceded in an interview with MSNBC that Mr Bloomberg could have defended himself better from the various attacks on his record.
“Certainly he had a better second half of the debate than the first, I will admit that," the campaign manager said, adding at one point: “Mike's got to get his legs under him.”
Donald Trump attacked Mike Bloomberg on Twitter once again, saying he hopes the billionaire presidential hopeful wins the Democratic nomination after his debate performance on Wednesday night:
Demonstrators have also showed up outside of the courthouse, as one man shouts in defence of Roger Stone and says "Roger Stone will be pardoned". Others outside of the courthouse are chanting in response: "Lie! Lie!"
The press is now waiting outside the courthouse for Roger Stone to appear after his sentence of 40-months was handed down by the judge presiding over his case.
Judge Jackson said there should be universal condemnation over Roger Stone's crimes, telling the court: "The dismay and disgust at the defendant’s belligerence should transcend party."
Judge Jackson slams Donald Trump's tweets about Roger Stone, calling the president's comments "totally inappropriate" but adding that she won't hold Stone accountable over Mr Trump's actions.
Judge Jackson has told the courtroom that even six or seven years of jail time for Roger Stone may be too much, and that seven to nine years "would be greater than necessary".
"This case did not arise because Roger Stone was being pursued by his political enemies," Judge Jackson tells the court. "It arose because Roger Stone characteristically injected himself smack into the middle of one of the most significant issues of the day."
"I am not passing judgement on Roger Stone as a man," Judge Jackson tells the court after Stone's defence claims he is a mentor and cares about animals. "That falls to a higher authority...It falls to me to sentence him just for the conduct for which he was found guilty by a jury."
Judge Jackson says about Roger Stone's alleged communications with Wikileaks founder Julian Assange: "Whether or not Stone was ever actually in communication with Assange, he understood full well that it could reflect badly on the President."
Judge Jackson undermines the claim that Roger Stone was prosecuted by political enemies, reportedly telling the court he "characteristically injected himself smack in the middle of" numerous election controversies and lied to Congress about his actions.
Roger Stone’s defence team has argued the 67-year-old was unlikely to engage in recidivism and cared deeply about animals. His attorneys also told the court he was about to become a great-grandfather and served as a mentor to many people, according to reports watching the sentencing hearing play out.
Roger Stone declines an offer to address the court, which the judge reportedly notes may be due to his plans to appeal. His defence attorneys argued "the process" surrounding his case "has already been the punishment".
Prosecutors tell the judge the original sentencing opinion offered by prosecutors was "done in good faith" and added: "The Department of Justice and the United States States Attorney's Office is committed to following the law without fear favor or political influence."
Interesting exchange between Judge Jackson and the new Justice Department prosecutors who have taken over the Roger Stone case after the previous ones resigned in protest following Attorney General WIlliam Barr's intervention in the sentencing -
