The Latest: GOP Sen. Cassidy says he supports Blanche, likely paving way for AG confirmation
Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy said Friday he'll back Todd Blanche’s nomination as attorney general, likely paving the way for Blanche to be confirmed to lead President Donald Trump’s Justice Department.
Blanche’s 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 formally terminating it.
Also, an appeals court has ruled 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.
Here's the latest:
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said Friday he maintains a respectful relationship with Trump, placing the blame for recent U.S.-Brazil frictions on Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“He is either anti-Latin America or a frustrated Latin American,” Lula said during a visit to São José dos Campos, accusing Rubio of hating Brazil, Cuba, and Colombia, while supporting former President Jair Bolsonaro and undermining agreements made with Trump.
“He does things differently from what we discuss with Trump,” the Brazilian president added.
This week, the U.S. revoked Brazil’s U.S. ambassador ’s visa after Brazil denied visas to two State Department officials ahead of October’s elections, where Lula faces Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro.
Washington also cited delays in approving U.S. Ambassador nominee Daniel Perez, who cleared the Senate earlier, but awaits Brazilian authorization.
If an acceptable deal is reached to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Trump would end the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports as long as the terms of the agreement are respected, a U.S. official said Friday.
The administration has been told by regional mediators that a deal between Iran and Oman on the crucial waterway could be finalized in the coming days, the official said. The U.S. would study whatever comes from the Iran-Oman talks before taking a position.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal administration deliberations, reiterated that the U.S. would not accept any agreement that allows Iran to charge tolls or service fees or otherwise interfere with ships.
— By Matthew Lee
The funding is for a variety of critical minerals projects to help produce the key elements needed for all kinds of high-tech products and weapons.
The biggest share of that is a $1.4 billion loan from the Department of War to help Sila Nanotechnologies build a new lithium battery plant. Other investments include $150 million for Niron Magnetics to boost production of powerful magnets that don’t require any rare earth elements and $400 million to help Sunrise Energy Metals build a scandium mine in Australia.
In addition, Trump said his administration will invest $180 million in the schools that train miners.
Colorado School of Mines President Paul Johnson said that over the past few decades “our expertise has atrophied over time -- particularly in the processing space.”
Trump has made it a priority to develop a supply of critical minerals outside of China, which dominates the mining and processing of the hard-to-pronounce elements that are crucial for missiles, nuclear subs, fighter jets and a variety of high-tech products.
The Ukrainian president said the measure would help increase pressure on Russia to bring an end to the over four-year war.
“Ukraine values ALL the support the United States provides to Ukraine — from both parties and from the American people as a whole,” Zelenskyy wrote in a post on social media.
Zelenskyy said as Ukraine works to secure more air defense systems to help stop Russia’s campaign to hit the country with large-scale ballistic missile attacks every signal of support for bringing a swift end to the war was extremely important.
“Real, strong American pressure and sanctions against Russia are what will help most. Diplomacy comes closer with every step that increases pressure on the aggressor. Thank you to everyone who understands this and is advancing PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH,” Zelenskyy wrote.
The Trump administration has hit two Iranian-linked digital asset exchanges with sanctions, alleging that the government in Tehran uses them to launder billions of dollars to support the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The Treasury announced on Friday that it had imposed sanctions on SHPS Shelbit and the Shelbit Exchange, both Georgia-based companies, as well as their top executive, Siavash Kayvanpour, an Iranian-born businessman who lives outside of Iran.
Treasury said the companies were also involved in a Persian-language gambling website network that is illegal inside of Iran but is still connected to the country’s financial system.
The Senate also confirmed David Cummins as head of the Transportation Security Administration, an agency facing persistent challenges, particularly after this year’s record partial government shutdown left TSA employees working for weeks without pay.
He is taking over as the Trump administration seeks to expand private airport screening and cut thousands of TSA jobs.
Daniel Perez, a close friend of Secretary of State Marco Rubio and a former speaker of Florida’s 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 Inácio Lula da Silva.
Earlier this week, the State Department said the Brazilian government’s refusal to accept Perez’s appointment was a main reason for its decision to revoke the visa of Brazil’s ambassador to the United States.
The Senate on Friday confirmed Cameron Hamilton as head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, 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 get rid of it days into his second term. Hamilton’s nomination signaled that Trump may be moving on from that idea, but his Republican administration is still promising drastic changes 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 chaotic policies enacted during Kristi Noem’s tenure leading the Department of Homeland Security.
He was among a group of 74 nominations approved by the Senate 51-47.
Andrii Sybiha called it “an important step” to further strengthening the sanctions regime against Russia.
“This landmark legislation is a powerful demonstration of America’s 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,” Sybiha said in a post on X.
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 world’s top five purchasers of Russian oil or natural gas, including China and India. The package next goes to the House.
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll told The Associated Press that policy changes like making test ranges more accessible 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 key interlocutor during talks between Russia and Ukraine last year before those negotiations stalled.
The former first lady and secretary of state said the president’s changes to the White House, such as gold trims added through the building, recall the decor of Saddam Hussein’s palaces.
“I had meetings in some of his palaces and they were quite reminiscent of what we are seeing in our own White House,” Clinton said in a podcast with Kara Swisher posted on Friday.
Clinton said she wasn’t 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 Trump’s lack of process.
“The next president is going to have a big decision,” she said. “What do you do with a half-finished ballroom?”
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 “hits Putin where it hurts.”
She says lawmakers had a choice to stand up to evil or continue with the status quo.
“It’s time for a show of strength,” 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.
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, “Top Secret Military Facilities” and other security features.
“The 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,” Trump wrote.
He also repeated his false claims that it will not cost taxpayer money. Congress refused the Trump administration’s request for $1 billion for the ballroom in May. In June, Democrats warned that $350 million in funds appeared to have been redirected for the ballroom.
The State Department announced the commitment with little fanfare on Thursday. The money will primarily find Samaritan’s Purse, World Vision and Compassion International, it said.
The move “underscores the Trump administration’s commitment to partnering with organizations that demonstrate faith in action and have proven their ability to deliver health and humanitarian assistance in the world’s most difficult environments.”
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.
Brent Leggs, the nonprofit organization’s president and CEO, said the appeals court ruling affirmed “the American people’s right to voice their opinions about the historic places they cherish,” including the White House.
“This is a great day for our country,” Leggs said. “From 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 Court’s decision to uphold the District Court’s preliminary injunction, which although stayed for 14 days will block any above-ground ballroom construction unless and until Congress takes action.”
The U.S. Army says it’s 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 nation’s stockpiles of advanced weapons.
The president tried to explain away why Rep. Andy Ogles, one of his handpicked endorsements, lost his primary in Tennessee on Thursday night.
“Last 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,” 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 “Great ‘Trump’ Candidate” and that he now has his “Complete and Total Endorsement!”
The senator nodded to the realities of being a Republican who doesn’t reflexively align with Trump.
“Mr. Blanche has become a referendum on how people feel about President Trump,” he said. “This process should be about Mr. Blanche.” He added, with emotion, “I’ll be criticized for this vote, but what’s new.”
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.
“Mr. Blanche is not perfect,” Cassidy said, before arguing essentially that Blanche is likely better than anyone else Trump could nominate.
Cassidy didn’t acknowledge Trump’s saying in an interview released Friday that he’d keep Blanche as acting attorney general if the Senate rejected him.
In either instance — Blanche’s confirmation or continuing as acting chief — the president could fire him at any point, a legal reality Cassidy glossed over in his stated reasoning.
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 — the biggest structural change to the White House in more than 70 years — includes critical security features to guard against a range of threats, such as drones, ballistic missiles and biohazards.
“These 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,” government attorneys wrote in a court filing.
Attorneys for the preservation group countered that the lack of a White House ballroom doesn’t constitute a national security emergency.
The Louisiana senator seemingly secured confirmation for the president’s acting attorney general after weeks of Senate wrangling.
Cassidy affirmed on the Senate floor that he still worries about Trump’s influence over the Justice Department, especially the prospects of a $1.8 billion fund for possible payouts to the president’s 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.
“This is not a referendum on President Trump, it is a decision regarding Mr. Blanche in very specific circumstances,” Cassidy said.
Republicans Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine had already said they wouldn’t support Blanche’s 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.
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.
“Whether or not a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for Executive self-help,” the court wrote.
Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy said Friday he’ll back Todd Blanche’s nomination as attorney general, likely paving the way for Blanche to be confirmed to lead President Trump’s Justice Department.
The Louisiana senator announced his support on the Senate floor after Blanche’s confirmation was thrown into doubt over opposition from two other Republican senators, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine.
Blanche’s path to confirmation has been complicated over a settlement of Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service that’s drawn intense scrutiny by Republicans and Democrats alike.
The settlement called for the creation of a $1.8 billion fund to compensate people who feel mistreated by the criminal justice system and provided Trump and family members with immunity from tax audits.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement is moving to equip officers with body cameras in the next two months but the agency’s policy gives it broad control over what footage will be made public by specifying any releases must be in its “best interests.”
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 Trump’s immigration crackdown have intensified pressure for accountability the cameras could provide.
But the agency’s body-worn camera policy 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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