Republican Sen. said Friday as attorney general, likely paving the way for Blanche to be confirmed to lead President Donald Trumpās Justice Department.
Blancheās prospective confirmation appeared threatened earlier Friday, when Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski announced her opposition. Murkowski cited concern that the administration could proceed with a $1.8 billion fund to compensate Trump allies, despite Blanche .
Also, an appeals court has ruled Trump must to build his proposed White House ballroom, saying construction must stop. The U.S. Court of Appeals sided with historic preservationists who sued to stop construction. The court said it would stay its own ruling for two weeks to allow the administration to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Here’s the latest:
Senate confirms 74 Trump nominations, including TSA leader and ambassador to Brazil
The Senate also confirmed David Cummins as head of the Transportation Security Administration, an agency facing , particularly after this yearās left TSA employees working for weeks .
He is taking over as the Trump administration seeks to and cut thousands of TSA jobs.
Daniel Perez, a close friend of Secretary of State Marco Rubio and a former speaker of Floridaās House of Representatives, was confirmed to be the next U.S. ambassador to Brazil. Perez has been central to an ongoing diplomatic dispute between the Trump administration and the government of Brazilian President Luiz InĆ”cio Lula da Silva.
Earlier this week, the State Department said the Brazilian governmentās refusal to accept Perezās appointment was a main reason for its decision to to the United States.
Senate confirms Cameron Hamilton to lead FEMA
The Senate on Friday as head of , returning the former Navy SEAL to the embattled agency he led temporarily last year only to be fired after he publicly opposed eliminating it.
He will take over an agency whose future has been uncertain since Trump threatened to days into his second term. Hamiltonās nomination signaled that Trump may be moving on from that idea, but his Republican administration is still in how the government handles disasters.
Hamilton will have to shepherd that overhaul while stabilizing an agency of more than 20,000 employees recovering from a slew of enacted during Kristi Noemās tenure leading the Department of Homeland Security.
He was among a group of 74 nominations approved by the Senate 51-47.
Ukraineās foreign minister commends Senate for passing Russia sanctions bill
Andrii Sybiha called it āan important stepā to further strengthening the sanctions regime against Russia.
āThis landmark legislation is a powerful demonstration of Americaās global leadership. I extend my sincere gratitude to the members of the U.S. Senate for their leadership, their principled bipartisan support, and their enduring solidarity with Ukraine. Together, we are bringing a lasting peace closer,ā Sybiha said in a post on X.
Senate passes sweeping Russia sanctions bill negotiated by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham
Passage of the bill Friday signals renewed bipartisan support for Ukraine as the war drags on.
The legislation would penalize countries that continue to buy Russian oil, gas and other exports. It comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the Capitol late last month and watched from the gallery as the Senate took the first procedural votes on the legislation.
The legislation allows the president to impose tariffs on the worldās top five purchasers of Russian oil or natural gas, including China and India. The package next goes to the House.
Army secretary gets inspiration from Ukraineās weapons advancements
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll told The Associated Press that policy changes like making to private companies developing drones and missiles have been driven in part by his observations of the war in Ukraine and how quickly that country has moved to produce new weapon systems.
He had been a during talks between Russia and Ukraine last year before those negotiations stalled.
Hillary Clinton blasts Trumpās White House changes
The former first lady and secretary of state said the presidentās changes to the White House, such as gold trims added through the building, recall the decor of Saddam Husseinās palaces.
āI had meetings in some of his palaces and they were quite reminiscent of what we are seeing in our own White House,ā Clinton said in a podcast with posted on Friday.
Clinton said she wasnāt opposed to the idea of a ballroom, noting the need during her White House days to hold events in a tent if there were too many guests. But she said she was opposed to Trumpās lack of process.
āThe next president is going to have a big decision,ā she said. āWhat do you do with a half-finished ballroom?ā
Graham gives closing argument for her brotherās Russia sanctions bill
Sen. Darline Graham of South Carolina has given the closing arguments for a bill that aims to penalize countries that purchase Russian oil and gas, depriving President Vladimir Putin of resources for his war against Ukraine.
The bill is named after her late brother, Lindsey Graham, who spent more than a year trying to win support for the measure before he died.
Darline Graham said the legislation her brother helped craft āhits Putin where it hurts.ā
She says lawmakers had a choice to stand up to evil or continue with the status quo.
āItās time for a show of strength,ā she said.
Colleagues from both parties applauded as she closed, something they rarely do after Senate speeches, an acknowledgment of just how personal the bill was for her brother.
Trump says he will appeal ruling on ballroom, which he calls a ‘desperately needed Military Center’
The president reacted to the ruling with a lengthy post on social media.
In it, he said he will appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, quoted from a dissenting opinion issued by one of the judges and described the plans for the facility to include bomb shelters, a hospital and medical facilities, āTop Secret Military Facilitiesā and other security features.
āThe Military and Secret Service are viewing this horrendous, politically motivated, and unlawful ruling as a National Security threat to our Nation in that the entire Complex is being built for the protection of our Country and, additionally, all future Presidents,ā Trump wrote.
He also repeated his false claims that it will not cost taxpayer money. Congress refused the Trump administrationās in May. In June, in funds appeared to have been redirected for the ballroom.
Trump administration pledges $2B for humanitarian assistance to faith-based organizations
The State Department announced the commitment with little fanfare on Thursday. The money will primarily find Samaritanās Purse, World Vision and Compassion International, it said.
The move āunderscores the Trump administrationās commitment to partnering with organizations that demonstrate faith in action and have proven their ability to deliver health and humanitarian assistance in the worldās most difficult environments.ā
The three groups are all Christian charities and have been active in combatting the recent Ebola virus outbreak in Africa as well as delivering assistance in the Middle East and Latin America.
National Trust for Historic Preservation reacts to ballroom ruling
Brent Leggs, the nonprofit organizationās president and CEO, said the appeals court ruling affirmed āthe American peopleās right to voice their opinions about the historic places they cherish,ā including the White House.
āThis is a great day for our country,ā Leggs said. āFrom the beginning, our position has been clear and consistent: the law states that only Congress can authorize the construction of a ballroom at the White House. We are pleased with the DC Circuit Courtās decision to uphold the District Courtās preliminary injunction, which although stayed for 14 days will block any above-ground ballroom construction unless and until Congress takes action.ā
Army pushes for faster weapons development under new test range initiative
The U.S. Army says itās opening up test ranges to private companies developing missiles, drones and other weapons in hopes of buying them more quickly for use on the battlefield.
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll told reporters Friday at a range in Michigan that the effort will cut the red tape that can stifle military contractors. He pledged to grant companies access to ranges within 30 days of making a request through an online marketplace.
The announcement comes as warfare is rapidly changing around the globe, particularly with the use of cheap drones in Ukraine and Iran. The Pentagon also is grappling with the costs of the Iran war, which has diminished the nationās stockpiles of advanced weapons.
Trump says he kept Ogles endorsement out of loyalty
The president tried to explain away why Rep. Andy Ogles, one of his handpicked endorsements, lost his primary in Tennessee on Thursday night.
āLast night was another good night for Endorsements, 8-1, and the 1 was a person who I remained loyal to even though he had virtually no chance of winning,ā Trump wrote on social media on Friday, referring to Ogles.
Trump takes great pride in his endorsements and the mostly winning record he has in Republican primaries.
Ogles was defeated by former state Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher. The president said Friday that Hatcher is a āGreat āTrumpā Candidateā and that he now has his āComplete and Total Endorsement!ā
Cassidy acknowledges political tightrope on Blanche vote
The senator nodded to the realities of being a Republican who doesnāt reflexively align with Trump.
āMr. Blanche has become a referendum on how people feel about President Trump,ā he said. āThis process should be about Mr. Blanche.ā He added, with emotion, āIāll be criticized for this vote, but whatās new.ā
Cassidy criticized Blanche for initially approving a $1.8 billion fund to compensate Jan. 6 rioters, among others, and for endorsing a tax immunity deal for Trump.
āMr. Blanche is not perfect,ā Cassidy said, before arguing essentially that Blanche is likely better than anyone else Trump could nominate.
Cassidy didnāt acknowledge Trumpās saying in an interview released Friday that heād keep Blanche as acting attorney general if the Senate rejected him.
In either instance ā Blancheās confirmation or continuing as acting chief ā the president could fire him at any point, a legal reality Cassidy glossed over in his stated reasoning.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued over the ballroom project in December
That came a week after the White House finished demolishing the East Wing to make way for a ballroom Trump said would fit 999 people.
Government lawyers have argued that the project ā the to the White House in more than 70 years ā includes critical security features to guard against a range of threats, such as drones, ballistic missiles and biohazards.
āThese upgrades, alterations, and improvements are essential to protecting the President, his family, and his staff, as well as the White House itself, and the entire project flows from them,ā government attorneys wrote in a court filing.
Attorneys for the preservation group countered that the lack of a White House ballroom doesnāt constitute a national security emergency.
Cassidy says confirming Blanche is better than Trump picking someone else
The Louisiana senator seemingly secured confirmation for the presidentās acting attorney general after weeks of Senate wrangling.
Cassidy affirmed on the Senate floor that he still worries about Trumpās influence over the Justice Department, especially the prospects of a $1.8 billion fund for possible payouts to the presidentās supporters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. But Cassidy said, essentially, that confirming Blanche is better than allowing Trump to pick another potential Justice Department chief.
āThis is not a referendum on President Trump, it is a decision regarding Mr. Blanche in very specific circumstances,ā Cassidy said.
Republicans Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine had already said they wouldnāt support Blancheās confirmation, effectively leaving his confirmation up to Cassidy.
Cassidy voted to convict Trump on impeachment charges in 2021. He lost a Republican primary earlier this year after the president endorsed his opponent.
Appeals court orders halt to White House ballroom construction
An appeals court has ruled President Trump must seek approval from Congress to build his proposed White House ballroom, saying construction must stop.
The U.S. Court of Appeals sided with historic preservationists who sued to stop construction. The court said it would stay its own ruling for two weeks to allow the administration to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
āWhether or not a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for Executive self-help,ā the court wrote.
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Sen. Cassidy supports Todd Blancheās attorney general nomination
Republican Sen. said Friday heāll back Todd Blancheās nomination as attorney general, likely paving the way for Blanche to be confirmed to lead President Trumpās Justice Department.
The Louisiana senator announced his support on the Senate floor after Blancheās confirmation was thrown into doubt over opposition from two other Republican senators, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine.
Blancheās path to confirmation has been complicated over against the Internal Revenue Service thatās drawn intense scrutiny by Republicans and Democrats alike.
The settlement called for the creation of people who feel mistreated by the criminal justice system and provided Trump and family members with immunity from tax audits.
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ICE will release body camera video only when seen in the agencyās ābest interests,ā policy says
Immigration and Customs Enforcement is moving to equip officers with in the next two months but the agencyās policy gives it broad control over what footage will be made public by specifying any releases must be in its ābest interests.ā
After years of delays, ICE said its field officers nationwide will have body-worn cameras by the end of September. The rollout comes after recent fatal shootings by officers enforcing President Trumpās have intensified pressure for accountability the cameras could provide.
But the agencyās could mean taxpayers who are pitching in tens of millions of dollars to pay for the cameras may be kept in the dark about some high-profile confrontations, at least in their immediate aftermath.
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āIām very good at grass.ā Why Trump goes into the weeds on one of his favorite topics
President Trump will tell you: The grass is always greener on his side of the fence.
And tell you. And tell you.
Trump has spoken repeatedly of his prowess with green lawns since returning to the White House ā at some events even spending more time talking about it than , or .
It was on the presidentās mind just five weeks after his second inauguration, when he pointed out the Oval Office window during an interview with The Spectator. āYou see the grass outside, right?ā he asked before detailing his plans to pave over much of it. āSome people would like to leave it. But the problem is, you canāt.ā
Trump has kept on the topic constantly ever since. All told, heās mentioned grass in at least 45 public events or interviews over the past 18 months ā or at least once every 12 days. That doesnāt include the numerous social media posts heās also made on the topic.
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Trump bounces between confidence and pragmatism on midterms
The president maintained that Republicans can hold onto control of Capitol Hill and he told Punchbowl News heās āworking hardā to make it happen.
āIām going to fight,ā he said, noting this weekās trip to western states and the upcoming GOP midterm convention that was his idea.
Still, Trump noted the historical trends that go against Republicans. āEven good presidents, they tend to lose in the midterms,ā he said.
He even called House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries a ānice guyā and recalled a āgood meetingā with him, even though he and the would-be speaker have been āharshā with one another publicly.
Trump also pushed back against the idea that his presidency would effectively end if Democrats win a majority in the House, Senate or both.
āTo some degree,ā he said. But he nodded to the presidential veto. āI have great blocking power,ā he said. āIām a great blocker.ā
A deal with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz may require a compromise from Trump
Any concession would be tough for the Republican president, whoās insisted thereās no truth to his , the and the U.S. militaryās following the Iran war he launched with Israel more than five months ago.
āHe divides the world into winners and losers, and this would make him a loser,ā said Eliot Cohen, who served as counselor of the State Department in the George W. Bush administration. āAnd the image of being a loser, I think, would be intolerable for him.ā
The sticking point has been over control of , through which 20% of the worldās oil normally flows. While both sides say , the Trump administration has that would cement Iranās grip over the waterway, including Tehran charging fees.
But Iran has insisted on some measure of control, saying the strait will not go back to being an open international waterway as it was before the war.
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Trump backs Johnson as House leader but is less enthusiastic about Sen. Thune
The president praised House Speaker Mike Johnson, a stalwart Trump loyalist, and said he should be the Republican leader even if the GOP loses its narrow majority.
āHeās great. We work together great,ā Trump told Punchbowl News. Sometimes, the president mused, āweāre one heart attack away from losing the House in Congress,ā yet Johnson has still delivered major pieces of Trumpās agenda.
āI donāt think thereās even a thought of anybody challenging him,ā Trump insisted.
Trump wasnāt so effusive about Senate Majority Leader John Thune.
āI donāt want to get into that. Itās early,ā Trump said when asked whether heād support Thuneās reelection as leader.
Trump said he gets along with the South Dakota senator but lamented the leaderās opposition to scrapping the filibuster and the Senateās inability to pass the presidentās proposals to expand federal power over elections.
āItās a shame he doesnāt have the votes,ā Trump said.
Trump says Republican voters are frustrated with Congress ā but not him
The presidentās job approval rating of 33%, according to , is as low as it has been in his second presidency ā the kind of numbers that hurt a presidentās party in midterm elections. But Trump insisted to Punchbowl News that he isnāt the real target of voter frustration, especially among Republicans.
āTheyāre not angry at me, but they are angry at Republicansā on Capitol Hill, he said.
He cited voter turnout in presidential elections, alluding to analyses that show heās attracted sporadic voters and flipped some historically Democratic-leaning voters.
āThe question is, will they vote? Because a lot of them are very angry at Republicans to be honest with you,ā Trump said.
The president maintained that Republicans can hold their House and Senate majorities this November. But his overall argument was clear: If they donāt, itās not his fault.
US employers unexpectedly cut 23,000 jobs last month amid strain from the Iran war
And Labor Department revisions shaved 103,000 jobs off payrolls in May and June. But the unemployment rate dipped to 4.1% as Americans left the job market.
The June jobs numbers from the Labor Department on Friday marked a sharp reversal for the American labor market.
Hiring had rebounded this year from a lackluster 2025 in the face of the conflict in the Persian Gulf that has sent energy prices surging and put a strain on family budgets. Job growth had been solid, if unspectacular. Some businesses are having trouble filling vacancies. Others are using technology to do the work humans used to do.
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Trump promises heāll tap his campaign chest to help Republicans
The Republican president is sitting on hundreds of millions of dollars in campaign money but told Punchbowl News in an interview released Friday that heāll unleash the funds to help GOP candidates ahead of the November midterms.
Trump says he has as much as $800 million to spend.
āI control it,ā he emphasized.
Notably, he did not offer any details about when or where heāll distribute the campaign cash.
Many Republicans have been counting on Trumpās super PAC being a key part of the GOPās defense of their House and Senate majorities. The presidentās political funds are a key part of Republicansā overall financial advantage in the midterm campaign, despite individual Democratic Senate and House candidates outraising their Republican opponents in many key races across the country.
Trump says heād leave Blanche as acting AG whatever the Senate decides
The president told Punchbowl News heāll leave his acting attorney general at the Justice Department even if his nomination fails.
āItāll be very sad,ā Trump said, but, āweāll all survive. Todd will survive.ā
Trump called Blanche āfairā and said heās ānot a radical flamethrower.ā But he acknowledged the political realities.
He singled out Sen. Murkowski as one of his Republican critics but said he has no regrets about his relationship with the Alaska Republican or other GOP senators, including Louisianaās Bill Cassidy, who could now determine whether Blanche is confirmed.
āYou do what you have to do,ā Trump said. āJust so you understand, they voted to impeach me. … In all fairness, you think that Iām going to support somebody that voted to impeach me?ā
Cassidy and Murkowski were among the Republicans who voted to convict Trump on impeachment charges in 2021 after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski says sheāll oppose Todd Blancheās attorney general nomination
The Alaska Republican announced on social media that sheāll vote against confirming the acting attorney general for the permanent job.
Murkowski complimented Blanche personally after private meetings with him but said sheās concerned he cannot lead an independent Justice Department under President Donald Trump.
āThe country needs an Attorney General who will check the worst impulses of this administration,ā she said. āI hope Mr. Blanche is able to achieve that, if confirmed, but I simply do not have confidence that will be the case.ā
Murkowskiās decision puts Blancheās nomination on the brink of failing in a chamber where Republicans hold a 53-47 majority. She joins Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine in opposition, and Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has missed Senate votes since early June because of health problems.
That leaves Sen. Bill Cassidy as the potentially deciding vote given that all Democrats are expected to vote against Blanche.
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