Doom, destruction and dishwashers: Key takeaways from Trump’s twin rallies in Wisconsin and Michigan

Donald Trump made the most of the latest Wednesday recess in his New York hush money trial by returning to the campaign trail to address rally crowds in two key battleground states: Wisconsin and Michigan.

The Republican presidential candidate and criminal defendant has complained loudly about Judge Juan Merchan’s requirement that he spend four days a week at Manhattan Criminal Court, where he stands accused of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to the adult film star Stormy Daniels in October 2016 to ensure her silence about a sexual encounter she alleges they had a decade earlier.

But with the judge granting a midweek break so long as the trial continues to make progress, Mr Trump was free to hit the road. He began his day in Waukesha, Wisconsin, before relocating to Freeland, Michigan, in the afternoon to address his supporters ahead of November’s election.

While he did just about manage not to make any further breaches of the gag order imposed on him by Judge Merchan, Mr Trump did complain: “I’ve got to do two of these things a day. You know why? Because I’m in New York all the time with the Biden trial.

“It’s a fake trial. They do it to try and take your powers away, try and take your candidate away.”

Here is a look at what else he had to say during his twin addresses, which largely saw him play the hits, weaving in his customary allotment of insults to rivals, grievances, misinformation and apocalyptic forecasts.

Trump admits Secret Service order on January 6

Perhaps the headline revelation of the day was the former president’s admission that he did order his US Secret Service detail to take him to the US Capitol on 6 January 2021, backing up the testimony offered to Congress by former Mark