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Trump’s DOJ pick in trouble as GOP concerns threaten confirmation
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President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Justice is already facing headwinds among Senate Republicans that could derail, or outright torpedo, his confirmation process.
And the process to either confirm or deny acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to replace former Attorney General Pam Bondi is already underway in the Senate, with Trump officially sending his nomination to the upper chamber on Monday.
Blanche’s involvement in the controversial, now-defunct $2 billion anti-weaponization fund, and his actions surrounding the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill rioters are two key breaking points for some Senate Republicans.
TRUMP EYES NEXT ATTORNEY GENERAL AS KEY GOP SENATOR SIGNALS POTENTIAL ROADBLOCK
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche arrives for a House Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Committee Subcommittee hearing in the Rayburn Building in Washington, D.C., on June 2, 2026. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc.)
His first challenge will be getting through the Senate Judiciary Committee, where Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., could be the pivotal vote that would make or break his confirmation.
Tillis was vehemently opposed to the anti-weaponization fund, going so far as to offer an amendment to divert the money to the nation’s anti-fraud fund and voting with Senate Democrats every step of the way to ensure there was no chance the move could be made again.
But for Tillis, Blanche’s comments and actions about the Jan. 6 rioters are his main «circuit breaker.»
«They better not have said for one minute that the people who beat up police officers, like these right down here, were righteous people,» Tillis said. «You come even close to saying that, you don’t have a [chance] of getting my vote in Judiciary.»
WATCH: DEM SENATOR SNAPS AFTER ACTING AG BLANCHE ACCUSES HIM OF ‘OBVIOUSLY LYING’ IN HEATED EXCHANGE
The skepticism about Blanche, who previously served as Trump’s personal lawyer before making the leap to the DOJ, extends beyond Tillis among those in the GOP. And he’ll receive no quarter from Senate Democrats, either in committee or during a confirmation vote.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., accused Blanche of both shielding Trump from legal consequences and using «the justice system to go after his boss’ political enemies, bringing baseless charges against the Southern Poverty Law Center, Jim Comey, and others.»
«Trump and Blanche are cut from the same crooked cloth,» Schumer said.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said it was «hard to say» whether Blanche would have the votes to be confirmed.
TODD BLANCHE ‘HONORED AND HUMBLED’ BY TRUMP’S AG NOMINATION AFTER EXPLOSIVE WEEK OF FEDERAL ARRESTS
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., questions Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell during the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on the Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to Congress in the Dirksen building on June 25, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc.)
«I think obviously most of our members are pretty deferential to who the president wants in these key positions,» Thune said. «He’s already serving in the role and clearly has experience in it. But this is an environment where nothing is a safe or sure bet.»
Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, announced that the committee had received the nomination Monday afternoon.
Grassley said he «worked well» with Blanche and has appreciated «his commitment to transparency and support for law enforcement.»
«Blanche is well-qualified and has shown his dedication to restoring law and order across our country,» Grassley said in a statement. «The Senate Judiciary Committee’s work to process Blanche’s nomination is underway.»
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Several Republicans were furious over the anti-weaponization fund, and berated Blanche behind closed doors last month over how it would operate, and whether Jan. 6 rioters would have access to the taxpayer money.
How much of a hand he had in that move could also determine his success in a Senate confirmation vote should he make it through the Senate Judiciary Committee.
«I think it’s gonna come down to the extent of his involvement in this weaponization fund,» Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said.
politics, pam bondi, chuck grassley, senate elections, donald trump
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El Gobierno de Guatemala inaugura el puente El Jícaro sobre el río Motagua tras 14 años de espera
El puente El Jícaro sobre el río Motagua fue inaugurado en El Progreso tras 14 años de espera y dará una conexión permanente con la ruta CA-9 Norte para 34.214 habitantes, con el objetivo de reducir el aislamiento, mejorar los traslados durante todo el año y facilitar el acceso a comercio, salud y educación, según el Ministerio de Comunicaciones, Infraestructura y Vivienda y el Fondo Social de Solidaridad.
La obra requirió una inversión de Q130.014.841,75, después de que el proyecto iniciara en 2022 con 116 millones, de acuerdo con la información oficial. El Gobierno de Guatemala indicó que la ejecución enfrentó cinco suspensiones antes de concluir en 2026.
El nuevo paso vehicular está ubicado en el ingreso principal al municipio de El Jícaro y enlaza con la CA-9 Norte en el kilómetro 98, una de las rutas principales del país, según el CIV. Esa conexión permitirá el traslado de personas y mercancías con una vía estable incluso en temporada de lluvias.
La estructura se ubica entre las más grandes construidas recientemente en Guatemala
El Gobierno de Guatemala afirmó que el puente se posiciona como uno de los cinco más grandes del país. La infraestructura tiene una longitud total de 440 metros, e incluye rampas de ingreso y salida.
La estructura tiene un ancho total de 10 metros y dos carriles vehiculares de cuatro metros de ancho cada uno, además de banquetas peatonales a ambos lados, según el detalle técnico difundido por el FSS. También cuenta con señalización horizontal y vertical para ordenar la circulación.
Entre los componentes constructivos figuran vigas de acero estructural, losa metálica y carpeta de rodadura de concreto reforzado. El diseño incorpora pilas de concreto reforzado con geometría hidrodinámica y cimentaciones profundas mediante pilotes de perfiles H de acero estructural, de acuerdo con la descripción oficial.
El proyecto incluye cinco tramos estructurales de 42 metros cada uno. Según el CIV, ese conjunto fue diseñado para garantizar transitabilidad permanente durante las distintas estaciones del año.
La respuesta directa al problema histórico de la zona es concreta: las familias de El Jícaro ya no dependerán de canoas ni de las condiciones climáticas para cruzar el Motagua, porque el nuevo puente habilita un paso seguro y continuo hacia trabajos, centros educativos, servicios de salud y mercados, según la información oficial.
Durante años, en época de lluvia, muchos vecinos debían cruzar el río en embarcaciones precarias para llegar a sus actividades cotidianas. El Gobierno sostuvo que esa situación exponía a la población a riesgos de seguridad y limitaba la movilidad del municipio.
El impacto económico también forma parte del objetivo de la obra. Según el CIV, el puente favorecerá el transporte de productos agrícolas y comerciales, reducirá tiempos de traslado y mejorará la competitividad de productores, comerciantes, estudiantes y trabajadores de las comunidades cercanas.
El coordinador ejecutivo del Fondo Social de Solidaridad, Luis Rivera, explicó que la terminación del proyecto implicó resolver obstáculos ajenos a la obra misma. “Este proyecto fue un verdadero reto, debido a los derechos de paso, pero sin duda reactivarlo fue una de las mejores labores que se han realizado para llegar hasta donde estamos ahora. Por ello, el FSS se concentró en culminar el proyecto para darle continuidad de paso y desarrollo al pueblo”.
Desde la comunidad, Carlos Sandoval, representante de Las Ovejas, vinculó la inauguración con una demanda sostenida durante años. “Valió la pena tanta lucha, tanto esfuerzo. Hoy llega a ustedes el resultado de esa espera. Agradecemos a los señores del Gobierno, al CIV y al FSS, quienes resolvieron favorablemente las gestiones para desarrollar este proyecto. El Jícaro hoy disfruta de esta fiesta principal. Agradecemos por permitirnos vivir este momento y disfrutar de este puente”.
Geovany Safaroli, representante de la empresa encargada de la construcción, también describió las dificultades del proceso y atribuyó la continuidad del proyecto al respaldo oficial. “Este proyecto fue difícil, porque con el cambio de proyecto se pensó que no iba a haber apoyo, pero gracias a Dios, el presidente de la República giró instrucciones para que el CIV respaldara incondicionalmente. Agradecemos el apoyo del Gobierno, el sacrificio y la paciencia de la población”.
puente de concreto,puente,infraestructura,conectividad,montañas,rural,comunidad,caminantes,construcción,desarrollo
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México se prepara para la tormenta tropical Boris mientras un segundo sistema se desplaza hacia el sur
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Graham Platner shouldn’t be elected to represent Maine in the U.S. Senate, a former high-level staffer for the embattled Democratic candidate told voters just hours before polls opened in the state’s Tuesday primary.
Genevieve McDonald, once a Maine state representative who worked briefly as Platner’s campaign director last year, warned in an op/ed in The Washington Post on Monday evening: «Graham Platner is not someone who would be good for Maine or for the country.»
While she overlooked his Nazi-linked tattoo and possible cheating scandal, McDonald said in the piece titled «I know firsthand why Graham Platner shouldn’t be a U.S. senator» that she couldn’t ignore how «he exhibits a pattern of dishonest behavior,» and ultimately quit the campaign after just two months.
«I was one of the Platner campaign’s first gaslighting casualties,» she wrote.
Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner has campaigned on progressive economic policies focused on taxing billionaires and lowering costs for working-class Americans. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
McDonald said she was «disturbed» by what she learned during her time on his staff from August to October 2025.
«If America wants a stronger democracy, elevating leaders with integrity is essential,» she wrote in the opinion piece. «Leaders with sound judgment and ethics. Leaders who embrace and live the ideals the nation stands for.»
THE GROWING LIST OF CONTROVERSIES THREATENING DEMOCRAT GRAHAM PLATNER’S MAINE SENATE BID
McDonald complained about the series of skeletons that emerged, including the Nazi-linked tattoo on his chest, recent allegations of physical misconduct with an ex-girlfriend and lewd Reddit posts that have rocked his campaign.
She specifically took issue with one Reddit post where Platner said white, rural Americans are ‘racist’ and ‘stupid.’ The demographic he attacked is the one in which he is now hoping to represent in the U.S. Senate.
McDonald also slammed the campaign’s «feigned ignorance» of the significance of the tattoo, which she described as «appalling.»
Genevieve McDonald places a bait bag in a lobster trap while fishing off the coast of Stonington, Maine, on Sept. 5, 2015. (Gregory Rec/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images)
The woman who made allegations of physical violence against Platner, Lyndsey Fifield, stood in solidarity with McDonald after the piece was published on Monday night.
«Last year, I watched a woman sacrifice her career to stand on principle and warn the public about a dangerous man. Genevieve has been relentlessly attacked — but she kept her honor and her soul. She has inspired me to stay strong through this storm.»
Among other revelations in the op/ed, McDonald said the campaign offered her a severance package of $15,000 contingent upon signing a non-disclosure agreement, which she refused.
TOP OFF-THE-WALL REDDIT POSTS HAUNTING GRAHAM PLATNER’S MAINE SENATE BID
McDonald conveyed that she wanted to believe Platner’s narrative of redemption — the candidate often touts himself as a man with a troubled past who has since straightened up — but she felt the overwhelming scandals were too much for her to continue working on the campaign.
She also used the platform in the Post to take a dig at Platner, who has pitched himself as a working-class Mainer, humble oyster farmer and small-town harbor master.
«I realized the campaign had not been honest with me,» McDonald wrote. «As someone from a real working-class background, I knew this would undermine his cross-party appeal.»
PLATNER’S ‘LIVING ON THE SEA’ CLAIM DISMANTLED BY CRITICS AS FINANCIAL DOCS PAINT A DIFFERENT PICTURE
That narrative has recently fallen apart as his campaign came under fire from multiple angles.
Platner’s mother, who owns a restaurant, is listed as the only customer of his oyster farming business on its financial disclosers. He farms off a private island owned by the family of his business partner, and his father gave him a $200,000 loan to purchase a home.
Senatorial candidate Graham Platner speaks at a town hall at the Leavitt Theater in Ogunquit, Maine, on Oct. 22, 2025. (Sophie Park/Getty Images)
«I want better for my daughters, and for the people of Maine,» McDonald wrote. «Democrats are being sold a narrative that Platner is the only choice for the race against Republican Sen. Susan Collins. Maine voters don’t have to accept that.»
There are two other Democratic candidates on the ballot in Tuesday’s race, Gov. Janet Mills and consultant David Costello.
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Mills was Platner’s main challenger, but withdrew from the race due to her campaign’s lack of funds on hand. Her withdrawal, however, came after the ballots were already printed — so her name will still appear as an option for voters.
«The answer to a broken political culture is not to accept it,» McDonald concluded. «Demand better from those entrusted with power or seeking it.»
«Enough is enough.»
democrats elections, graham platner, primary results, politics, maine, fund raising
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