Newsroom edition: could Coalition chaos be good for country voters?
As this episode was recorded, the Liberal and National parties were still locked in discussions over the Coalition agreement, after the parties dramatically parted ways earlier in the week.
But with a reunion already on the cards, Bridie Jabour spoke with Mike Ticher and former rural and regional editor Gabrielle Chan about why the breakup could be good for regional voters
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The Guardian
44 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Bolsonaro denies coup plot but admits discussing ‘alternative ways' to remain president
Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro has denied masterminding a far-right coup plot at his trial in the supreme court, but he admitted to taking part in meetings to discuss 'alternative ways' of staying in power after his defeat in the 2022 election. In just over two hours of questioning, the 70-year-old said that after the electoral court confirmed Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's election victory, 'we studied other alternatives within the constitution.' Those options included the deployment of military forces and suspension of some civil liberties, Bolsonaro said, but he argued that such discussions could not be considered an attempted coup. 'A coup is something abominable. A coup may even be easy to start. The day after is simply unpredictable and harmful to everyone. Brazil could not go through something like that, and such a hypothesis was never even considered during my government,' he said. Bolsonaro confirmed his allies had considered various options, including the declaration of a state of siege, but did not pursue them because 'there was no climate for it, no opportunity; we didn't even have a minimally solid base to do anything.' The former chiefs of the air force and the army had previously told police that they opposed Bolsonaro's plans during those meetings, although they said the former navy commander pledged to back the rightwing autocrat. With a hoarse voice, the far-right leader used the live broadcast of his questioning to turn much of the hearing into a political platform, defending his 2019-2023 administration and repeatedly criticising Lula's third term. There had been some expectation over his face-off with the case's lead judge, justice Alexandre de Moraes – the former head of the electoral court, whom Bolsonaro has previously called a 'jerk' and a 'scoundrel'. But Bolsonaro apologised to Moraes and two other justices for saying in a meeting – a recording of which was submitted as evidence – that they had allegedly received between $30m and $50m each to rig the election. 'It was a vent, rhetoric I used,' he said. 'So, I apologise. I had no intention of accusing you of any misconduct'. Though he is barred from running for office by an electoral court ruling in a separate case – for spreading lies and attacking the voting system – Bolsonaro joked with Moraes, saying: 'I'd like to invite you to be my running mate in 2026.' Smiling, the justice replied: 'I'll pass.' Bolsonaro was the sixth defendant to be questioned since the trial began on Monday of the eight men considered the 'nucleus' of the attempted coup. The accused include four former Bolsonaro ministers – three of them army generals; the ex-commander of the navy; and the ex-president's former right-hand man, Lt Col Mauro Cid. It is the first time that high-ranking military officers have ever faced trial over an attempted coup d'état in Brazil, a country that endured a bloody dictatorship from 1964 to 1985. Journalist and political analyst Miriam Leitão wrote in her column in O Globo that 'what was most striking … was the casual atmosphere in which a coup d'état was discussed within the Bolsonaro government. 'Everyone knew about it – there were several conversations, meetings in function rooms, inside the presidential palace and at the top of the military hierarchy,' she wrote. The first to testify was Bolsonaro's former aide-de-camp, Lt Col Mauro Cid, who signed a plea bargain and whose testimony, alongside evidence gathered by the federal police, forms the basis for the prosecution's case. He reaffirmed that Bolsonaro edited a draft decree that provided for the arrest of several authorities, including members of Congress and supreme court justices, and the creation of a commission to organise new elections. 'He [Bolsonaro] shortened the document, removing the authorities' arrests. Only you would be imprisoned,' Lt Col Cid told Moraes. He also said that his former boss attempted unsuccessfully to find some kind of 'fraud' in the electronic voting system, hoping to 'convince the armed forces to do something'. Once the defendants' testimony concludes, the prosecution and defence will have five days to request further inquiries to gather new evidence, which the rapporteur, Moraes, may accept or reject. After that come the final arguments and, ultimately, the trial verdict, which is expected in the second half of the year.
Daily Mail
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The Independent
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Stephen A Smith finally rules himself out of presidential bid: ‘Have to give up a lot of money to do that'
Sports broadcaster Stephen A Smith has said that he has "no desire" to run for office after months of flirting with the idea, saying he would "have to give up a lot of money." On Monday night, the ESPN star told Jon Stewart on The Daily Show, he would prefer to be a "hell raiser" and is not looking to run for president in 2028. 'The way I look at it, the money that I have earned working my ass off all of these years now, I would have to curry favor, which means I would be owned. And I ain't having that, so I'm not interested in that at all,' he said. Smith had previously hinted at a possible political run, saying earlier this year that he was "leaving all doors open" for a potential presidential run, The Hill reports. In April, President Donald Trump said during a NewsNation town hall that he'd "love" to see Smith run for office. Smith said he was more interested in being a voice for change than filling a chair in the Oval Office. 'I want to be a major player in terms of a voice and a conduit for change,' he said. 'I want to make sure that people know that the BS has got to stop!' He said he wants to "make sure people are uncomfortable and that they not going to get away with the BS that they been getting away with," 'I think the politicians in this country have served to divide us and paint us against one another for their own selfish deeds, and I think that they have contributed to the demise of this country,' he said. Smith has previously criticized both Trump and the Democratic Party following its electoral defeat in 2024. He previously said he did not like "what I'm seeing" with Trump, but noted that "I'm not surprised." Smith also took shots at the Democrats, saying that they 'talk and they talk and they talk" but then they "position themselves to do absolutely nothing." 'So I don't mind calling them out at all. I don't give a damn who it is: It could be a councilman, it could be a mayor, it could be a governor, it could be a senator or a representative, the president himself,' Smith told Stewart, earning him applause. 'I could care less: Whoever needs to go, needs to go.'
