Trump nominates Todd Blanche for AG amidst Republican patience test and budget cuts

Donald Trump has announced his intent to formally nominate Todd Blanche as the next U.S. Attorney General, signaling confidence in his former personal defense lawyer who has been serving as acting Attorney General since April 2026. Blanche's nomination is anticipated to encounter significant hurdles in the Senate, where some Republican lawmakers have already voiced concerns, particularly regarding his past comments and his involvement in a controversial, now-scrapped $1.8 billion "Anti-Weaponization Fund".

Concurrently, Senate Republicans have chosen to block $1 billion in funding for a new White House ballroom from their latest budget reconciliation bill. This decision follows a May 2026 ruling by the Senate parliamentarian that the ballroom project violated budget rules, deeming it an inappropriate use of the reconciliation process. The proposed funding, initially presented as a security upgrade, faced bipartisan opposition, with many senators criticizing the use of taxpayer money for what some called a "vanity project".