Vote to take place on Blanche nomination after GOP senators drop opposition – US politics live

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GOP senators say they will back Blanche as attorney general following deal over fund

Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog.

President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer Todd Blanche appears on track to become the next US attorney general after two Republican senators drop their opposition to his nomination.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is due to meet for a vote this morning on Blanche’s nomination following last week’s delay.

Republican senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis had sought concessions from the Department of Justice and White House relating to President Donald Trump’s settlement agreement with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Cornyn and Tillis had refused to back Blanche’s bid for the permanent post without official confirmation killing the fund meant to compensate people who believe they were unfairly prosecuted by the Justice Department.

Blanche’s written order, issued late Sunday, came after the days of negotiations between the Justice Department and the Republican senators who are leaving Capitol Hill when their terms end in January.

“We want to express our gratitude to Mr Blanche and his staff for working with us on this, and we look forward to voting to advance his nomination out of the Senate Judiciary Committee soon,” Cornyn, of Texas, and Tillis, of North Carolina, said in a statement.

Blanche has repeatedly said that the Justice Department was scrapping plans for the fund, which sparked bipartisan outcry over the possibility that violent rioters who attacked police at the US Capitol on 6 January 2021, could be considered for payments.

But skeptical lawmakers said they were concerned that could be revived without a commitment in writing, especially because Trump has continued to defend the idea.

Read the reaction to the story here:

In other developments:

• Trump declined to call for Rep Max Miller’s resignation following allegations of domestic abuse from his ex-wife, Emily Moreno. Trump said he has always known Miller as “a good person” and called the situation “a very sad thing.”
• In an 89-4 vote, the Senate voted to take up a measure that would temporarily keep the government funded and help avoid a shutdown in the fall. The measure, known as a continuing resolution, would maintain government funding at current levels through 11 December, with some adjustments for specific programs. The Senate is slated to debate the funding bill and move it closer to a final vote.
• A coalition of 25 US states sued the Trump administration over new tariffs pegged at 10% to 12.5% on goods from 60 trading partners, calling them a pretext for replacing import taxes struck down by the supreme court in February. The states are asking the US Court of International Trade to halt the tariffs, declare them unlawful and order refunds of duties that have already been paid. More here.
• Trump accused US attorney Jeanine Pirro of having “folded like an umbrella” amid reports that he was considering removing her from her post. Trump criticized Pirro on Monday after she dropped vandalism charges against a former Olympian accused of damaging the recently renovated Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool. More here.

Donald Trump is making a rare visit to California and Nevada this week to try to draw contrasts with Democrats on the economy, border security and crime , seeking to shore up support for Republicans in November elections that will determine whether his party keeps control of Congress.

The Republican president has struggled to connect with voters on the economy as elevated inflation and feelings of uncertainty have overshadowed the stock market gains he often talks about along with a low national unemployment rate, AP reports.

Trump will visit the Los Angeles area on Tuesday to speak at a fundraising dinner for the Republican National Committee at a golf club his family owns in the suburb of Rancho Palos Verdes.

On Wednesday, Trump will discuss the economy during an event at Red Rock casino in Las Vegas.

The Democratic party faces a crucial test of its direction today as voters in the midwestern swing state of Michigan decide whether to nominate for US Senate a progressive candidate advocating for universal healthcare or an-establishment-backed moderate.

The state’s Democratic primary is the latest high-profile battle over the party’s future, as it seeks to chart a course back to power in Washington following Donald Trump’s victory in 2024.

Leftwing candidates have surged in Democratic primaries in solidly blue areas across the country in recent months.

Some congressional primary races in Michigan will also offer a sense of where the party is headed as it looks to take back control of US Congress from the Republicans.

Progressive Abdul El-Sayed, a 41-year-old former public health official, has led in recent polls against his moderate rival, US representative Haley Stevens, a 43-year-old who first came to Congress after flipping a red seat.

A flood of more than $40m in outside spending has come into the race to support Stevens or attack El-Sayed, including from groups associated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac), a pro-Israel lobby.

The winner of Tuesday’s Democratic primary will face Mike Rogers, a former congressman from the state who was also the Republican nominee for US Senate in 2024, when he lost to Elissa Slotkin.

The Michigan US Senate seat is critical for Democrats in their dark-horse quest to retake the upper chamber, where Republicans currently hold 53 of the 100 seats.

Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog.

President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer Todd Blanche appears on track to become the next US attorney general after two Republican senators drop their opposition to his nomination.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is due to meet for a vote this morning on Blanche’s nomination following last week’s delay.

Republican senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis had sought concessions from the Department of Justice and White House relating to President Donald Trump’s settlement agreement with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Cornyn and Tillis had refused to back Blanche’s bid for the permanent post without official confirmation killing the fund meant to compensate people who believe they were unfairly prosecuted by the Justice Department.

Blanche’s written order, issued late Sunday, came after the days of negotiations between the Justice Department and the Republican senators who are leaving Capitol Hill when their terms end in January.

“We want to express our gratitude to Mr Blanche and his staff for working with us on this, and we look forward to voting to advance his nomination out of the Senate Judiciary Committee soon,” Cornyn, of Texas, and Tillis, of North Carolina, said in a statement.

Blanche has repeatedly said that the Justice Department was scrapping plans for the fund, which sparked bipartisan outcry over the possibility that violent rioters who attacked police at the US Capitol on 6 January 2021, could be considered for payments.

But skeptical lawmakers said they were concerned that could be revived without a commitment in writing, especially because Trump has continued to defend the idea.

Read the reaction to the story here:

In other developments:

• \n Trump declined to call for Rep Max Miller’s resignation following allegations of domestic abuse from his ex-wife, Emily Moreno. Trump said he has always known Miller as “a good person” and called the situation “a very sad thing.”
• \n In an 89-4 vote, the Senate voted to take up a measure that would temporarily keep the government funded and help avoid a shutdown in the fall. The measure, known as a continuing resolution, would maintain government funding at current levels through 11 December, with some adjustments for specific programs. The Senate is slated to debate the funding bill and move it closer to a final vote.
• \n A coalition of 25 US states sued the Trump administration over new tariffs pegged at 10% to 12.5% on goods from 60 trading partners, calling them a pretext for replacing import taxes struck down by the supreme court in February. The states are asking the US Court of International Trade to halt the tariffs, declare them unlawful and order refunds of duties that have already been paid. More here.
• \n Trump accused US attorney Jeanine Pirro of having “folded like an umbrella” amid reports that he was considering removing her from her post. Trump criticized Pirro on Monday after she dropped vandalism charges against a former Olympian accused of damaging the recently renovated Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool. More here.

Key events

• 44m agoTrump makes rare western trip in bid to shore up support for midterm elections
• 2h agoMichigan votes in key Senate primary as Democrats battle over party’s future
• 2h agoGOP senators say they will back Blanche as attorney general following deal over fund

Richard Luscombe

A far-right Republican candidate in Florida’s governor’s race has been accused of stiffing a high school debate champion over the better part of $11,000 in scholarship money she won from a company he founded.

Student Briana Whatley landed the awards as regional and national champion of Incubate Debate, a league-style competition set up by the candidate, James Fishback, to encourage youth to engage in political discourse.

A recording posted to Substack by Fishback in May 2024 shows Whatley, now a second-year history student at Florida State University, accepting a $10,000 check for besting seven other finalists in the 2024 Incubate Debate national championship, adding to two $500 area awards she previously won.

According to Florida Politics, Whatley is suing Fishback for not delivering $8,000 of the money that a letter from the company promised would be paid to her in full on the day she graduated high school in May last year.

The filing names Incubate Foundation Inc, the parent of Incubate Debate, and Fishback, 31, who is challenging front-running US congressman Byron Donalds and Jay Collins, the lieutenant governor of Florida, for the Republican nomination for state governor in November.

The candidates face off in an 18 August primary.

Trump makes rare western trip in bid to shore up support for midterm elections

Donald Trump is making a rare visit to California and Nevada this week to try to draw contrasts with Democrats on the economy, border security and crime , seeking to shore up support for Republicans in November elections that will determine whether his party keeps control of Congress.

The Republican president has struggled to connect with voters on the economy as elevated inflation and feelings of uncertainty have overshadowed the stock market gains he often talks about along with a low national unemployment rate, AP reports.

Trump will visit the Los Angeles area on Tuesday to speak at a fundraising dinner for the Republican National Committee at a golf club his family owns in the suburb of Rancho Palos Verdes.

On Wednesday, Trump will discuss the economy during an event at Red Rock casino in Las Vegas.

New York cannot ban federal agents from wearing face coverings or require that they wear visible identification, a federal judge ruled on Monday.

The ruling comes after a federal judge earlier this year blocked a similar law in California that was enacted after the Trump administration aggressively worked to increase immigration arrests, AP reported.

For the Northern District of New York, US District Judge Mae D’Agostino wrote that while New York “appears to be well-intentioned in its pursuit of transparent policing,” that’s not what the court is deciding.

“The issue now before the Court is about constitutionality—not transparency or preferable policy decisions,” she wrote.

The federal government has shown a likelihood that the measures go against the supremacy clause of the US Constitution, which bars state governments from regulating federal law enforcement, D’Agostino wrote.

The measures were included in a slate of law enforcement policies as part of the state budget bill that was signed into law by Democratic governor Kathy Hochul in May.

Rachel Leingang

Congressional seats, including one in Slotkin’s former district, are also in the mix in Michigan, with further tests of progressives’ rise.

The progressive US senator Bernie Sanders has boosted El-Sayed and two progressive challengers in congressional races.

In the Lansing-area seventh district, Sanders backed William Lawrence, a community organizer who co-founded the Sunrise Movement, over former US ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink and Matt Maasdam, a former US Navy Seal.

Maasdam received Slotkin’s endorsement in the race for the purple district, currently held by Republican Tom Barrett.

In the 13th district, Sanders boosted state representative Donavan McKinney, who is running against incumbent Democratic representative Shri Thanedar in the Detroit-area district.

On the right, Republicans will figure out if they want to nominate John James, a US representative with Donald Trump’s endorsement, or businessman Perry Johnson to face Jocelyn Benson, the secretary of state and likely Democratic nominee for the governorship.

James has led in polls, but late grassroots energy has given Johnson some momentum. Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, served for eight years and faced term limits preventing another run for the high office.

Rachel Leingang

Michigan is not the only state with primaries on Tuesday.

In Missouri, voters will weigh whether to nominate former US representative Cori Bush, who is running to return to the chamber against Wesley Bell in a race punctuated by the war in Gaza and outside spending by pro-Israel groups.

And in Washington state, voters will decide which two candidates to elevate in the third congressional district, where blue-dog Democratic representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is seeking re-election amid challengers from both sides of the aisle.

Michigan votes in key Senate primary as Democrats battle over party’s future

Rachel Leingang

The Democratic party faces a crucial test of its direction today as voters in the midwestern swing state of Michigan decide whether to nominate for US Senate a progressive candidate advocating for universal healthcare or an-establishment-backed moderate.

The state’s Democratic primary is the latest high-profile battle over the party’s future, as it seeks to chart a course back to power in Washington following Donald Trump’s victory in 2024.

Leftwing candidates have surged in Democratic primaries in solidly blue areas across the country in recent months.

Some congressional primary races in Michigan will also offer a sense of where the party is headed as it looks to take back control of US Congress from the Republicans.

Progressive Abdul El-Sayed, a 41-year-old former public health official, has led in recent polls against his moderate rival, US representative Haley Stevens, a 43-year-old who first came to Congress after flipping a red seat.

A flood of more than $40m in outside spending has come into the race to support Stevens or attack El-Sayed, including from groups associated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac), a pro-Israel lobby.

The winner of Tuesday’s Democratic primary will face Mike Rogers, a former congressman from the state who was also the Republican nominee for US Senate in 2024, when he lost to Elissa Slotkin.

The Michigan US Senate seat is critical for Democrats in their dark-horse quest to retake the upper chamber, where Republicans currently hold 53 of the 100 seats.

GOP senators say they will back Blanche as attorney general following deal over fund

Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog.

President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer Todd Blanche appears on track to become the next US attorney general after two Republican senators drop their opposition to his nomination.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is due to meet for a vote this morning on Blanche’s nomination following last week’s delay.

Republican senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis had sought concessions from the Department of Justice and White House relating to President Donald Trump’s settlement agreement with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Cornyn and Tillis had refused to back Blanche’s bid for the permanent post without official confirmation killing the fund meant to compensate people who believe they were unfairly prosecuted by the Justice Department.

Blanche’s written order, issued late Sunday, came after the days of negotiations between the Justice Department and the Republican senators who are leaving Capitol Hill when their terms end in January.

“We want to express our gratitude to Mr Blanche and his staff for working with us on this, and we look forward to voting to advance his nomination out of the Senate Judiciary Committee soon,” Cornyn, of Texas, and Tillis, of North Carolina, said in a statement.

Blanche has repeatedly said that the Justice Department was scrapping plans for the fund, which sparked bipartisan outcry over the possibility that violent rioters who attacked police at the US Capitol on 6 January 2021, could be considered for payments.

But skeptical lawmakers said they were concerned that could be revived without a commitment in writing, especially because Trump has continued to defend the idea.

Read the reaction to the story here:

In other developments:

• Trump declined to call for Rep Max Miller’s resignation following allegations of domestic abuse from his ex-wife, Emily Moreno. Trump said he has always known Miller as “a good person” and called the situation “a very sad thing.”
• In an 89-4 vote, the Senate voted to take up a measure that would temporarily keep the government funded and help avoid a shutdown in the fall. The measure, known as a continuing resolution, would maintain government funding at current levels through 11 December, with some adjustments for specific programs. The Senate is slated to debate the funding bill and move it closer to a final vote.
• A coalition of 25 US states sued the Trump administration over new tariffs pegged at 10% to 12.5% on goods from 60 trading partners, calling them a pretext for replacing import taxes struck down by the supreme court in February. The states are asking the US Court of International Trade to halt the tariffs, declare them unlawful and order refunds of duties that have already been paid. More here.
• Trump accused US attorney Jeanine Pirro of having “folded like an umbrella” amid reports that he was considering removing her from her post. Trump criticized Pirro on Monday after she dropped vandalism charges against a former Olympian accused of damaging the recently renovated Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool. More here.