Trump and two eldest children must testify in fraud case | First Thing

Former president has to testify within 21 days and hand over documents within a fortnight. Plus, the answer to our productivity crisis?

Good morning.

Donald Trump and his two eldest children have been ordered by a New York judge to sit for a civil deposition in the deepening investigation over alleged fraud in the valuation of assets belonging to his family business.

Could Trump plead the fifth? It would be tricky: his criminal defense lawyer says it would be front-page news and would make it impossible to pick a jury. Additionally, Trump has previously mocked the practice, saying: If you're innocent, why are you taking the fifth amendment?"

What's next? Trump is likely to appeal against the decision ordering him to comply with the subpoena.

Who else has backed the convoy? Ted Cruz has demanded an investigation into GoFundMe after it deleted the page for donations to Canadian truckers, as did DeSantis. The Ohio congressman Jim Jordan also criticized the platform.

How should the double standard be understood? This rhetoric is Republicans seizing any opportunity to attack Joe Biden - rather than being part of a hard ideological stance", said Jared Holt, an extremism researcher.