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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.

Key events

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.