Trump moans about media coverage of his ‘startling’, ‘big, important’ Bronx rally: Live

Donald Trump has angrily posted that the “lamestream network media” refused to cover his “BIG, IMPORTANT” and “STARTLING” rally in the Bronx on Thursday, despite it being covered by almost all news outlets.

During his remarks at the rally — his first in New York state for eight years — he made the extraordinary claim that China is building a migrant sleeper cell army within the US. The Republican presidential candidate also told the crowd at Crotona Park in the South Bronx: “If a New Yorker can’t save this country, no one can.”

Mr Trump declared he was “thrilled” to be back campaigning in the city, which he modestly claimed to have “helped build”.

He also promised a major mass deportation operation should he regain the Oval Office, pledged to indemnify police officers against prosecution, and praised Hungary’s “strongman” Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

It comes after another big week for the former president in the courts.

Manhattan prosecutors and defense attorneys rested their cases in his high-profile hush money trial ahead of closing arguments on Tuesday while a Florida pre-trial hearing into the classified documents against him collapsed into a chaotic shouting match.

Veepstakes: New frontrunner emerges to be Trump running mate — it’s not who you’d think...

Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington, DC:

Former president Donald Trump is reportedly considering Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton to be the Republican nominee for vice president in this year’s general election, a move that could outrage some Democrats but would bring an experienced, low-drama personality onto the GOP ticket.

According to The New York Times, Mr Trump began discussing Mr Cotton as a vice presidential contender in recent weeks, adding to a mix of