Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski said Friday Todd Blanche鈥檚 , narrowing the confirmation path for President Donald Trump鈥檚 pick to lead the Justice Department.
The Alaska senator said she鈥檚 concerned the Trump administration could proceed with its proposed $1.8 billion fund to compensate Jan. 6 rioters even though Blanche has .
Meanwhile, Trump said Thursday he was signing : one limiting the number of people eligible for U.S. citizenship after being born in the United States and the other focused on stopping people from coming to the U.S. to give birth. It鈥檚 a sign that even after Trump鈥檚 first attempt at was , he鈥檚 ready to try again.
Here’s the latest:
ICE will release body camera video only when seen in the agency鈥檚 鈥榖est interests,鈥� policy says
Immigration and Customs Enforcement is moving to equip officers with in the next two months but the agency鈥檚 policy gives it broad control over what footage will be made public by specifying any releases must be in its 鈥渂est interests.鈥�
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鈥檚 have intensified pressure for accountability the cameras could provide.
But the agency鈥檚 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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鈥業鈥檓 very good at grass.鈥� 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 鈥� at some events even spending more time talking about it than , or .
It was on the president鈥檚 mind just five weeks after his second inauguration, when he pointed out the Oval Office window during an interview with The Spectator. 鈥淵ou see the grass outside, right?鈥� he asked before detailing his plans to pave over much of it. 鈥淪ome people would like to leave it. But the problem is, you can鈥檛.鈥�
Trump has kept on the topic constantly ever since. All told, he鈥檚 mentioned grass in at least 45 public events or interviews over the past 18 months 鈥� or at least once every 12 days. That doesn鈥檛 include the numerous social media posts he鈥檚 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 小萝莉影视 he鈥檚 鈥渨orking hard鈥� to make it happen.
鈥淚鈥檓 going to fight,鈥� he said, noting this week鈥檚 trip to western states and the upcoming GOP midterm convention that was his idea.
Still, Trump noted the historical trends that go against Republicans. 鈥淓ven good presidents, they tend to lose in the midterms,鈥� he said.
He even called House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries a 鈥渘ice guy鈥� and recalled a 鈥済ood meeting鈥� with him, even though he and the would-be speaker have been 鈥渉arsh鈥� 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.
鈥淭o some degree,鈥� he said. But he nodded to the presidential veto. 鈥淚 have great blocking power,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 a great blocker.鈥�
A deal with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz may require a compromise from Trump
Any concession would be tough for the Republican president, who鈥檚 insisted there鈥檚 no truth to his , the and the U.S. military鈥檚 following the Iran war he launched with Israel more than five months ago.
鈥淗e divides the world into winners and losers, and this would make him a loser,鈥� said Eliot Cohen, who served as counselor of the State Department in the George W. Bush administration. 鈥淎nd the image of being a loser, I think, would be intolerable for him.鈥�
The sticking point has been over control of , through which 20% of the world鈥檚 oil normally flows. While both sides say , the Trump administration has that would cement Iran鈥檚 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.
鈥淗e鈥檚 great. We work together great,鈥� Trump told Punchbowl 小萝莉影视. Sometimes, the president mused, 鈥渨e鈥檙e one heart attack away from losing the House in Congress,鈥� yet Johnson has still delivered major pieces of Trump鈥檚 agenda.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 even a thought of anybody challenging him,鈥� Trump insisted.
Trump wasn鈥檛 so effusive about Senate Majority Leader John Thune.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to get into that. It鈥檚 early,鈥� Trump said when asked whether he鈥檇 support Thune鈥檚 reelection as leader.
Trump said he gets along with the South Dakota senator but lamented the leader鈥檚 opposition to scrapping the filibuster and the Senate鈥檚 inability to pass the president鈥檚 proposals to expand federal power over elections.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a shame he doesn鈥檛 have the votes,鈥� Trump said.
Trump says Republican voters are frustrated with Congress 鈥� but not him
The president鈥檚 job approval rating of 33%, according to , is as low as it has been in his second presidency 鈥� the kind of numbers that hurt a president鈥檚 party in midterm elections. But Trump insisted to Punchbowl 小萝莉影视 that he isn鈥檛 the real target of voter frustration, especially among Republicans.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e not angry at me, but they are angry at Republicans鈥� on Capitol Hill, he said.
He cited voter turnout in presidential elections, alluding to analyses that show he鈥檚 attracted sporadic voters and flipped some historically Democratic-leaning voters.
鈥淭he question is, will they vote? Because a lot of them are very angry at Republicans to be honest with you,鈥� Trump said.
The president maintained that Republicans can hold their House and Senate majorities this November. But his overall argument was clear: If they don鈥檛, it鈥檚 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 he鈥檒l tap his campaign chest to help Republicans
The Republican president is sitting on hundreds of millions of dollars in campaign money but told Punchbowl 小萝莉影视 in an interview released Friday that he鈥檒l unleash the funds to help GOP candidates ahead of the November midterms.
Trump says he has as much as $800 million to spend.
鈥淚 control it,鈥� he emphasized.
Notably, he did not offer any details about when or where he鈥檒l distribute the campaign cash.
Many Republicans have been counting on Trump鈥檚 super PAC being a key part of the GOP鈥檚 defense of their House and Senate majorities. The president鈥檚 political funds are a key part of Republicans鈥� 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 he鈥檇 leave Blanche as acting AG whatever the Senate decides
The president told Punchbowl 小萝莉影视 he鈥檒l leave his acting attorney general at the Justice Department even if his nomination fails.
鈥淚t鈥檒l be very sad,鈥� Trump said, but, 鈥渨e鈥檒l all survive. Todd will survive.鈥�
Trump called Blanche 鈥渇air鈥� and said he鈥檚 鈥渘ot a radical flamethrower.鈥� 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 Louisiana鈥檚 Bill Cassidy, who could now determine whether Blanche is confirmed.
鈥淵ou do what you have to do,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淛ust so you understand, they voted to impeach me. … In all fairness, you think that I鈥檓 going to support somebody that voted to impeach me?鈥�
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 she鈥檒l oppose Todd Blanche鈥檚 attorney general nomination
The Alaska Republican announced on social media that she鈥檒l vote against confirming the acting attorney general for the permanent job.
Murkowski complimented Blanche personally after private meetings with him but said she鈥檚 concerned he cannot lead an independent Justice Department under President Donald Trump.
鈥淭he country needs an Attorney General who will check the worst impulses of this administration,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 hope Mr. Blanche is able to achieve that, if confirmed, but I simply do not have confidence that will be the case.鈥�
Murkowski鈥檚 decision puts Blanche鈥檚 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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