U.S. government agrees to drop tax claims against Trump in IRS settlement : NPR

NPR Topics: Politics — 2026-05-19 19:20:00 — www.npr.org

WASHINGTON — The U.S. government will permanently drop tax claims against President Trump, according to a settlement document made public Tuesday, in an extraordinary use of executive power that could effectively help shield the president from further examination of his finances and legal conduct.

As part of the settlement deal meant to resolve Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns, the U.S. is “forever barred and precluded” from examining or prosecuting Trump, his sons and the Trump organization’s current tax examinations, according to a one-page document posted to the Justice Department’s website.

The government is also barred from looking into Trump’s family, affiliates and others, according to the document, which is signed by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. That document is a separate addendum from the original settlement announced Monday, and was quietly added to the Justice Department website on Tuesday. The White House referred Associated Press inquiries to the Justice Department, and the U.S. Treasury did not respond to Associated Press requests for comment. The settlement refers only to existing audits, not future examinations, the Justice Department said in response to a request for comment on the expanded settlement. The move comes after the Trump administration announced Monday, as part of the lawsuit settlement, the creation of a nearly $1.8 billion fund to compensate allies of the Republican president who believe they have been unjustly investigated and prosecuted, an arrangement that Democrats and government watchdogs criticize as “corrupt” and unconstitutional. The “Anti-Weaponization Fund” of $1.776 billion will allow people who believe they were targeted for prosecution for political purposes, including by the Biden administration Justice Department, to apply for payouts, creating what Blanche called “a lawful process for victims of lawfare and weaponization to be heard and seek redress.” Blanche, who was grilled by lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, would not rule out the possibility that people who carried out violence during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol will be considered for payouts from the new fund.

Democratic lawmakers and ethics watchdogs slammed the creation of the fund, saying it was corrupt, opaque and had the potential to become a “slush fund” for the president and his allies. Even Republican lawmakers have expressed signs of discomfort about the fund’s creation, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who told reporters that he’s “not a big fan.” Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday that the fund is dedicated to “reimbursing people who were horribly treated.” Daniel Werfel, a former IRS Commissioner during the Biden administration, said he was unaware of instances where the IRS agreed in advance “to permanently forgo examination of previously filed tax returns for a specific person or business.” He said the arrangement granted Trump and his family separate tax rules from other Americans. “Whether you are the president or Joe the Plumber, people expect the same tax rules and enforcement framework to apply to everybody.” The fund was announced after Trump, his sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., and the Trump Organization agreed to drop their lawsuit against the IRS and the Treasury Department. The lawsuit alleged that a leak of confidential tax records caused them reputational and financial harm and negatively affected their public standing, among other allegations.

According to the original settlement agreement posted to the Justice Department website Monday, Trump will receive a formal apology from the U.S. government but “will not receive any monetary payment or damages of any kind” from the settlement. Still, the discharge of current potential tax claims could provide protection against any possible outstanding tax liabilities. Kathleen Williams, the judge handling the lawsuit, dismissed the case on Monday and, in her filing, admonished the government agencies, notably the Justice Department, for failing to be transparent about the settlement. She said no agency “submitted any settlement documents nor filed any documents ensuring that settlement was appropriate where there was an outstanding question as to whether an actual case or controversy existed.”

Source: https://www.npr.org/2026/05/19/g-s1-122938/irs-trump-settlement-tax-returns-audit

Rep. Thomas Massie becomes latest GOP incumbent to fall in primary after Trump backs challenger

Politics – CBSNews.com — 2026-05-19 19:36:00 — www.cbsnews.com

Trump-backed Ed Gallrein defeated Rep. Thomas Massie in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District Republican primary on Tuesday, CBS News has projected. Massie is the latest incumbent Republican to fall in a primary to a challenger endorsed by President Trump, who has successfully targeted a number of Republicans he has deemed his adversaries in recent primaries. Last week, Massie referred to himself as the “main event” on Mr. Trump’s revenge tour. Massie conceded to Gallrein in a speech Tuesday, closing out a primary race that he quipped “went on longer than Vietnam.” He stuck to his guns, highlighting his disagreements with Mr. Trump on aid to Israel, the Iran war, and the push to release files on Jeffrey Epstein. He argued that people in Washington “tried to buy my vote” but “couldn’t buy it.”

Asked about Massie’s defeat, Mr. Trump told reporters late Tuesday: “He was a bad guy. He deserves to lose.” Trump allies celebrated Gallrein’s victory. Former Trump 2024 co-campaign manager Chris LaCivita wrote on X that GOP voters “want to know that someone represents their views,” and Massie “failed Republicans on all counts.” Earlier, LaCivita posted a photo of Mr. Trump showing his middle finger. “Do not ever doubt President Trump and his political power,” White House Communications Director Steven Cheung wrote on social media, likely responding to Massie’s loss. “F*** around, find out.”

The race in northern Kentucky was the most expensive House primary in history, with pro-Israel interest groups pumping millions in the contest in a bid to unseat Massie, who has been a thorn in Mr. Trump’s side. In an interview with CBS News on Monday, Massie said spending by pro-Israel interest groups caused more disruption in the race than the president. In a typical year, Massie said he would have won the primary with 80% of the vote. He estimated Mr. Trump’s endorsement of Gallrein lowered his support to 60%, and spending from the pro-Israel lobby further eroded it. “I think what would have been a 60-40 race is now a 50-50 race,” Massie said, citing Gallrein’s support from AIPAC, the Republican Jewish Coalition, and GOP megadonors such as Miriam Adelson.

Massie voted against Mr. Trump’s signature tax-cutting legislation, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, last year and spearheaded the effort to force the Justice Department to release materials related to Epstein, a convicted sex offender. He has also opposed the war with Iran and has questioned the legality of the military operation to capture former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and the strikes on alleged drug smuggling boats around Venezuela.

His opposition provoked Mr. Trump, who campaigned for Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL. “They want 100% compliance,” Massie said. In recent days, Mr. Trump lashed out at Massie and congressional Republicans who campaigned on his behalf. The president called Massie the “worst ‘Republican’ congressman in history” and said he would support a challenger to one of those Republicans, Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, whom he called “weak minded.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth traveled to Kentucky on Monday to campaign with Gallrein, arguing that the candidate would fall in line behind Mr. Trump. Hegseth said he was there in his personal capacity, though the visit marked a break from the longstanding practice of military officials avoiding partisan activities. “When the movement needs unity, especially at the biggest moments, Massie is willing to vote with Democrats,” Hegseth said. “President Trump needs reinforcements, and that’s what war fighters do. They stand behind leaders and have their back. War fighters understand mission, they understand teamwork, they understand loyalty. And they understand that in the middle of a fight, you don’t weaken your own side.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, declined to endorse Massie, telling reporters last week that he was staying out of the race. “It’s no secret that Thomas Massie has been critical of me at times, but I don’t ever take any of that personally,” Johnson said.

Still, Johnson acknowledged that it would be “helpful to have a more reliable vote” as Republicans manage a narrow majority in the lower chamber. Massie said last week that his loss would disenfranchise a swath of Republican voters who helped the party win the White House and the House majority. “If I’m gone … the tent has significantly been diminished and will make winning the majority harder in the fall,” he said. Massie has represented the district since 2012, when he won a special election to replace GOP Rep. Geoff Davis who resigned citing a “family health issue.”

Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kentucky-primary-results-massie-gallrein-trump/

WATCH: Trump calls planned White House ballroom ‘a gift’ to U.S.

PBS NewsHour – Politics — 2026-05-19 15:17:00 — www.pbs.org

President Donald Trump recently showcased the construction of a new ballroom at the White House, which is being built on the site of the former East Wing. During a visit to the construction site, Trump defended the project, which has faced challenges in Congress, including a request for $1 billion in taxpayer funding for security enhancements.

Trump emphasized the unique features of the ballroom, stating, “There will never be another building like this built, that I can tell you.” He highlighted its security measures, including a “dead flat” roof made of “very strong steel” that is “drone-proof.” He explained that the roof is designed to protect Washington, D.C., and that the military will monitor the area.

Despite the project’s ambitious scope, including a ballroom capable of hosting 1,000 people and extensive underground facilities, Trump insisted that the $400 million cost would be covered by donors, including himself. “This is not going to be paid for by the taxpayer,” he asserted, calling it “a gift to the United States of America.” However, public opinion appears to be against the project, with a recent poll indicating that 56% of Americans oppose the demolition of the East Wing for the ballroom.

Trump acknowledged that he would have “very little” time to use the ballroom, as it is expected to be completed in September 2028, shortly before the end of his term. He stated, “This is really for other presidents,” sidestepping questions about additional funding if Congress rejects the request.

In addition to the ballroom, Trump mentioned other beautification efforts in Washington, including the restoration of park fountains and the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, claiming to do so at a lower cost than previous administrations.

Source: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-shows-reporters-ballroom-construction-site-as-lawmakers-balk-at-1b-for-white-house-security

Trump endorses Ken Paxton in Texas Senate race ahead of runoff

Politics – CBSNews.com — 2026-05-19 14:23:00 — www.cbsnews.com

Washington — President Trump endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday in the state’s upcoming Senate runoff, seeking to bring to an end a costly contest just a week ahead of the runoff date. “Ken is a true MAGA Warrior who has ALWAYS delivered for Texas, and will continue to do so in the United States Senate,” Mr. Trump said in a post on Truth Social. Paxton is heading to a May 26 runoff against four-term Sen. John Cornyn after neither secured 50% of the vote in the March 3 primary election. Cornyn won about 42% of the vote, while Paxton had almost 41% — ultimately a margin of about 26,000. Early voting started Monday in the runoff. Mr. Trump initially said in March that he planned to endorse a candidate in the race “soon,” adding that he would tell the other candidate to drop out of the race. He said at the time that the GOP primary race in Texas “cannot, for the good of the Party, and our Country, itself, be allowed to go on any longer.” But as weeks went by without an endorsement, the candidates have endured a costly extension of the primary, with the president’s input appearing increasingly unlikely. The possibility of the endorsement has weighed heavy on the race between Paxton, a staunch ally of the president, and Cornyn, who Mr. Trump has previously criticized for questioning whether he could win a general election in 2024. And although Cornyn has worked to mend his relationship with the president and has become a vocal supporter of Mr. Trump’s second–term agenda, the dynamic made for a messy primary fight. In his post on Tuesday, Mr. Trump said “John Cornyn is a good man, and I worked well with him, but he was not supportive of me when times were tough.” He added that “John was very late in backing me” in his 2024 bid.

“Ken Paxton has gone through a lot, in many cases, very unfairly, but he is a Fighter, and knows how to WIN,” the president added. “Our Country needs Fighters, and also Loyalty to the Cause of Greatness.” Paxton was first elected to be attorney general in 2014, and he initially aggressively took on the Obama administration. He then became a close ally of Mr. Trump’s, and filed the lawsuit challenging former President Joe Biden’s win in the 2020 election in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia and Wisconsin. That case was tossed out by the U.S. Supreme Court. In 2015, Paxton was indicted on securities fraud charges, and the charges were dropped as part of a pre-trial diversion deal in 2024. In 2023, he was impeached on charges of bribery, dereliction of duty and disregard of official duties by the GOP-majority Texas House of Representatives in a 121-23 vote. He was later acquitted by the state Senate. Mr. Trump had posted his support of Paxton after the trial. After the endorsement, Cornyn said he has worked closely with the president, who he said has “consistently called me a friend in this race.” Cornyn urged Texas Republicans to stand by him in the runoff.

“It is now time for Texas Republican voters to decide if they want a strong nominee to help our GOP candidates down ballot and defeat Talarico in November, or a weak nominee who jeopardizes everything we care about,” Cornyn said in a post on X. “I trust the Republican voters of Texas.” The endorsement comes despite the wishes of Senate Republicans, who are eager to hold onto the seat in November and who see Cornyn as a better candidate to take on Texas state Rep. James Talarico, the moderate Democratic nominee, in a general election. Senate GOP leaders backed Cornyn long before Mr. Trump weighed in on the race. And Senate Majority Leader John Thune has told reporters that Cornyn is well positioned to “win the runoff.” Asked about the president’s endorsement on Tuesday, Thune said “it’s his decision.” Other Senate Republicans cited the difficulties Paxton will face if he secures the nomination. GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine called Paxton an “ethically challenged individual,” while praising Cornyn as an “outstanding senator” who deserved the president’s support. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican and close ally of the president, acknowledged that “the pathway for Paxton is there but it’s more uphill and it will cost more.” “I think what we’ve got to do is raise a lot more money now,” Graham said.

Talarico responded to the president’s endorsement, saying in a statement that “it doesn’t matter who wins this runoff.” “We already know who we’re running against: the billionaire mega-donors and their corrupt political system,” he said. “Our movement to take back Texas for working people rises above party politics — because the biggest fight in this country is not left versus right, it’s top versus bottom.”

Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-ken-paxton-endorsement-texas-senate-runoff/

Trump endorses Ken Paxton in Texas Senate primary runoff : NPR

NPR Topics: Politics — 2026-05-19 11:53:00 — www.npr.org

President Trump has endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the Texas GOP runoff for U.S. Senate, one week before voting ends in the contentious and expensive primary. “Ken Paxton has gone through a lot, in many cases, very unfairly, but he is a Fighter, and knows how to WIN,” Trump wrote in part on social media. “Our Country needs Fighters, and also Loyalty to the Cause of Greatness.”

Trump’s last-minute move to back Paxton is an effort to essentially end the race after weeks of a bruising fight in a state Democrats see as a potential stretch pickup opportunity in November. Cornyn, Paxton, and Rep. Wesley Hunt each vied for Trump’s endorsement ahead of the primary election, but the president declined to pick any one of them, noting that he liked all three candidates.

Paxton argued that Cornyn was not in touch with Trump’s MAGA base and the direction of the Republican Party. Cornyn’s campaign highlighted a series of scandals that have plagued Paxton, including his wife filing for divorce on “biblical grounds,” a felony indictment for securities fraud that was later settled, and an impeachment vote in 2023, where he was later acquitted. The Texas race has become the most expensive Senate primary in U.S. history, with both parties spending well over $100 million total so far.

State Rep. James Talarico won the Democratic nomination outright against Rep. Jasmine Crockett and another challenger. “As I said on primary night, it doesn’t matter who wins this runoff. We already know who we’re running against: the billionaire mega-donors and their corrupt political system,” Talarico said Tuesday in response to Trump endorsing Paxton. “Our movement to take back Texas for working people rises above party politics — because the biggest fight in this country is not left versus right, it’s top versus bottom.”

The day after the primary, Trump posted on his Truth Social account that the runoff “MUST STOP NOW” so Republicans could focus on the November contest against Talarico. He also wrote that the candidate that did not receive his approval must “immediately DROP OUT OF THE RACE.” “My Endorsements within the Republican Party have been virtually insurmountable!” Trump wrote. “It is such an honor to realize and say that almost everyone I Endorse WINS, and wins by a lot, especially in Texas!” In the March 3 primaries in Texas, North Carolina, and Arkansas, all but five of Trump’s endorsements won outright or faced no challenger. Only one, embattled Rep. Tony Gonzales, was not the first place finisher.

Over the weekend, Trump-backed Rep. Julia Letlow and Louisiana state treasurer John Fleming advanced to a runoff for the state’s U.S. Senate race, defeating incumbent Sen. Bill Cassidy. Trump is also involved in Tuesday’s primary in Kentucky, where Thomas Massie, a sitting Republican who has clashed with the president, hopes to fend off Ed Gallrein.

Source: https://www.npr.org/2026/05/19/nx-s1-5736175/trump-endorses-ken-paxton-texas-senate

What to know about today’s primaries in Georgia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and more

Politics – CBSNews.com — 2026-05-19 06:56:00 — www.cbsnews.com

Voters are going to the polls Tuesday for primaries in several states, including in the key battleground states of Georgia and Pennsylvania, while in Kentucky, Trump foe GOP Rep. Thomas Massie faces a challenger backed by the president. In Alabama, voters are weighing in on four out of seven House races, while the other three districts will vote in August, after a Supreme Court decision earlier this month made it possible for the state to use a different congressional map with just one majority-Black district.

Here’s what to know about the key races:

**Kentucky 4th District**
Massie faces challenger Ed Gallrein in the 4th Congressional District in northern Kentucky in what has become the most expensive House primary in history. In an interview with CBS News’ Ed O’Keefe in his hometown of Vanceburg, Kentucky on the eve of the primary, Massie said of Mr. Trump, “He knows I’m tough to beat.” “He’s literally losing sleep over this race, because he’s in with both feet,” Massie said. I think their polling shows what our polling shows, which is there’s a better than half chance that we’re going to win this race.” Massie later predicted, “I’m going to win,” but he admitted it’s a tight race.

“I think what would have been a 60-40 race is now a 50-50 race,” Massie told O’Keefe, citing the impact of outside money. Gallrein is backed by AIPAC, the Republican Jewish Coalition and GOP megadonors including Miriam Adelson. Pro-Israel interest groups have funneled millions into the race in a bid to oust Massie, who is facing Mr. Trump’s wrath over his opposition to a number of his priorities, including the Iran war and Massie’s defiance of party leaders in pressing the Justice Department to release the Epstein files. Massie also voted against Mr. Trump’s signature legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Massie, who is running for his eighth term, defended his voting record, telling reporters he votes with Mr. Trump “90% of the time,” but the president and his allies “want 100% compliance.” “It’s only the 10% of the time they’re mad about — when I won’t vote for a war, when I won’t vote for warrantless spying and when I won’t vote to bankrupt the country,” he said. “But in those instances, I’m doing what I told the people in Kentucky I would do.” Mr. Trump has campaigned for Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL, and spent the days leading up the primary attacking Massie as the “worst congressman in the long and storied history of the Republican Party.”

“He is an obstructionist and a fool,” Mr. Trump wrote in a social media post Monday. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth hit the campaign trail with Gallrein on Monday and criticized Massie’s “constant obstruction.” “At some point, being against everything becomes an excuse for accomplishing nothing,” said Hegseth, who noted he was there in his personal capacity. “President Trump does not need more people in Washington who are trying to make a point, especially from his own party.” Massie indicated Hegseth’s campaign appearance is a good sign, telling O’Keefe, “You don’t send the Secretary of War to Kentucky during a war if you think your candidate is up 10 points. That’s what you do when you realize your whole campaign is imploding.” House Speaker Mike Johnson declined to pick sides in the race, but said it would be “helpful to have a more reliable vote” as he leads a divided conference with a razor-thin majority. Mr. Trump has been successful in wielding his influence in races this year in Indiana and this weekend in Louisiana, where Sen. Bill Cassidy did not advance to a runoff after facing a challenger backed by Mr. Trump and a third candidate who also pledged loyalty to MAGA.

**Georgia governor’s race**
Popular Republican Gov. Brian Kemp is term-limited, leaving the seat open. The once solidly GOP state now has two Democratic senators and provided a key victory for former President Joe Biden in 2020, although it flipped back to Mr. Trump in 2024. During the 2020 election, Mr. Trump zeroed in on Biden’s victory in Georgia for his baseless claims of voter fraud. In the days leading up to Congress’ certification of the election on Jan. 6, 2021, Mr. Trump called then-Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and said, “I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have.” Raffensperger resisted and he won reelection in 2022 against a challenger backed by Mr. Trump. The dramatic 2020 election is now the backdrop in the Republican primary to replace Kemp, with not just Raffensperger on the ballot, but two other prominent figures in that election: State Attorney General Chris Carr, who declined to pursue an election fraud case Mr. Trump pushed in 2020, and current Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who signed on as a phony elector as part of one of the schemes to overturn that election. Mr. Trump has backed Jones in this contest. Then, billionaire healthcare executive Rick Jackson leapt into the race, promising to become Mr. Trump’s “favorite governor” and pledging to spend at least $50 million on his campaign. He’s blown past that, having spent $83 million so far, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. AdImpact, which tracks television ad spending, said last month that more than $100 million had been spent so far on television advertising. Jackson led the pack, dropping $56 million on television advertising, followed by Jones, who has spent $26 million, according to the report. And the anti-Jones group Georgians for Integrity has spent nearly $20 million on ads, while Raffensperger has spent $2 million. There are four other Republicans on the ballot. If no candidate receives 50% of the vote, the top two Republican vote-getters will go to a runoff. There are also seven Democrats vying for their party’s nomination, despite having spent only $1.24 million total on television advertising so far. Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is considered the frontrunner in the race, although the race is likely to go to a runoff. Biden has weighed in on the race, backing Bottoms, his first endorsement since leaving office. There is another familiar name from the 2020 on the ballot on the Democratic side: Former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, who as a Republican had steadfastly refuted Mr. Trump’s 2020 election claims, is now seeking the Democratic nomination. Duncan wrote an op-ed in 2024 about his support for Biden, and he spoke at the Democratic convention that year in support of Harris after Biden dropped out of the race.

**Georgia Senate**
A handful of Republicans are vying for the GOP nomination on Tuesday to decide who will take on incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff in November. Ossoff has been in the Senate since 2021 when he delivered Democrats one of two runoff victories in Georgia and secured their majority. As the sole Democrat seeking reelection in a state the president won in 2024, the race represents a key prize for Republicans seeking to hold onto control of the Senate. But the GOP’s inability to coalesce behind a candidate, paired with a formidable fundraising effort, have appeared to improve Ossoff’s outlook. Reps. Mike Collins and Buddy Carter, along with former college football coach Derek Dooley, are facing off in what has become a messy primary in recent months. Dooley has Kemp’s endorsement, but the president has yet to endorse in the race, and the primary could go to a runoff in June if no candidate reaches 50%. The possibility of a prolonged GOP primary fight has appeared to improve the picture for Ossoff, and a special election in Georgia in April saw a massive leftward swing that could also bode well for the Democrat. The Cook Political Report rates the races as leaning Democrat, shifting its rating from a toss-up in April.

**Pennsylvania**
Democrats have a path to gain up to four seats in the House and could test Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s political capital with swing voters in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania’s 7th District, centered in the Lehigh Valley, is a top target for Democrats. After its boundaries were redrawn for the 2018 cycle, it was represented by former Democratic Rep. Susan Wild for three terms before Rep. Ryan Mackenzie defeated her in 2024 by about a point. The district includes the bluer Lehigh County, including Allentown, as well as Northampton County, which has gone to the presidential candidate who eventually won the national election in every cycle except three since 1920. The frontrunner for the Democratic nomination is Bob Brooks, a firefighter and union leader who’s backed by Shapiro and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Democrats have targeted Pennsylvania’s 10th District in every cycle since 2018. The seat, representing Harrisburg, York and the nearby rural areas, has been held by Mr. Trump’s staunch ally Rep. Scott Perry since 2016. Janelle Stelson, a longtime local television anchor, is the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination. She narrowly lost to Perry by about 5,100 votes in 2024. Like Brooks, Stelson is backed by both Shapiro and the DCCC. In the 8th District, comprising Scranton, Wilkes-Barre and some of the Poconos, freshman GOP Rep. Rob Bresnahan is facing a tough reelection campaign. The region was effectively represented in the House by Democrats from 2006 to 2024, but it includes areas that have shifted to the right in the MAGA era. Luzerne County, in the southwestern portion of the district, went for the Democrat in presidential elections from 1992 to 2012, but it was won by Mr. Trump the past three cycles. The clear contender to win the Democratic nomination on Tuesday is Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, who has the support of Shapiro and state and national Democrats. The most challenging target for Democrats and the toughest test for Shapiro looms in the 1st District, north of Philadelphia and containing Bucks County. The region has been represented by moderate GOP Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick since 2017. Fitzpatrick won reelection in 2024 by nearly 13 points, but local elections in the county show shifts to the left. When Fitzpatrick first won the seat, Republicans controlled all but one of the county’s 12 elected offices. Today, Democrats have that same supermajority Republicans once had. CBS News reported in April that Mr. Trump’s criticisms of Pope Leo XVI and the Iran war have Catholics in Bucks — who make up more than a third of the county, according to the privately run 2020 U.S. Religion Census — watching Fitzpatrick and the administration closely. The top Democratic contender in the district is Shapiro-endorsed Bob Harvie, the vice chair of the county’s Board of Commissions. Republicans have few U.S. House pickup opportunities in Pennsylvania this cycle, with one longshot chance in Democratic Rep. Chris DeLuzio’s 17th District, which comprises the Pittsburgh suburbs and Beaver County. But if Republicans are able to hold the line in their four frontline districts, it could be damaging for Shapiro’s greater political aspirations. If he’s able to help deliver victories to Democrats in those districts, it could attract the attention of donors and party leaders in the race for the White House in 2028.

**Alabama**
Alabama’s Republican Gov. Kay Ivey earlier this month declared a special selection that will be held on Aug. 11 in the House races in the state’s 1st, 2nd, 6th and 7th Congressional Districts. These four districts will be affected by the state’s use of its 2023 map, which was made possible by last week’s Supreme Court decision. The 2023 map was blocked by the court because it had only one majority-Black district, but the Supreme Court last month narrowed the scope of the Voting Rights Act for majority-minority districts. House primaries in the state’s other three districts will still take place Tuesday. Ivey is term-limited, and U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville is considered the frontrunner for the GOP nomination for governor. But he still faces two GOP challengers. On the Democratic side, there are six candidates vying for the nomination, including former Sen. Doug Jones, whom Tuberville defeated for the Senate seat in 2020. As Tuberville pursues his bid to be governor, six Republicans are vying for the GOP nomination to replace him, and four candidates running for the Democratic nomination. Other races Idaho will be holding contests on Tuesday for governor and both members of its congressional delegation are facing primary challengers. It is also primary day in Oregon. Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek faces nine Democratic primary challengers and there are 14 Republicans on the ballot, including former Portland Trailblazer player Chris Dudley. Incumbent Sen. Jeff Merkley, who was first elected to the Senate in 2008 and won his last election by more than 17 points, faces a nominal primary challenge, while several Republicans are vying to take him on him on in November. There is also a statewide measure on the ballot in Oregon to raise the gas tax to pay for infrastructure projects.

Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/2026-midterm-elections-primaries-kentucky-georgia-pennsylvania-alabama-idaho/

What to know about today’s primaries in Georgia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and more

Politics – CBSNews.com — 2026-05-19 05:00:00 — www.cbsnews.com

Voters are going to the polls Tuesday for primaries in several states, including in the key battleground states of Georgia and Pennsylvania, while in Kentucky, Trump foe GOP Rep. Thomas Massie faces a challenger backed by the president. In Alabama, voters are weighing in on four out of seven House races, while the other three districts will vote in August, after a Supreme Court decision earlier this month made it possible for the state to use a different congressional map with just one majority-Black district.

Here’s what to know about the key races:

**Kentucky 4th District**
Massie faces challenger Ed Gallrein in the 4th Congressional District in northern Kentucky in what has become the most expensive House primary in history. In an interview with CBS News’ Ed O’Keefe in his hometown of Vanceburg, Kentucky on the eve of the primary, Massie said of Mr. Trump, “He knows I’m tough to beat.” “He’s literally losing sleep over this race, because he’s in with both feet,” Massie said. I think their polling shows what our polling shows, which is there’s a better than half chance that we’re going to win this race.” Massie later predicted, “I’m going to win,” but he admitted it’s a tight race.

“I think what would have been a 60-40 race is now a 50-50 race,” Massie told O’Keefe, citing the impact of outside money. Gallrein is backed by AIPAC, the Republican Jewish Coalition and GOP megadonors including Miriam Adelson. Pro-Israel interest groups have funneled millions into the race in a bid to oust Massie, who is facing Mr. Trump’s wrath over his opposition to a number of his priorities, including the Iran war and Massie’s defiance of party leaders in pressing the Justice Department to release the Epstein files. Massie also voted against Mr. Trump’s signature legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Massie, who is running for his eighth term, defended his voting record, telling reporters he votes with Mr. Trump “90% of the time,” but the president and his allies “want 100% compliance.” “It’s only the 10% of the time they’re mad about — when I won’t vote for a war, when I won’t vote for warrantless spying and when I won’t vote to bankrupt the country,” he said. “But in those instances, I’m doing what I told the people in Kentucky I would do.” Mr. Trump has campaigned for Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL, and spent the days leading up the primary attacking Massie as the “worst congressman in the long and storied history of the Republican Party.”

“He is an obstructionist and a fool,” Mr. Trump wrote in a social media post Monday. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth hit the campaign trail with Gallrein on Monday and criticized Massie’s “constant obstruction.” “At some point, being against everything becomes an excuse for accomplishing nothing,” said Hegseth, who noted he was there in his personal capacity. “President Trump does not need more people in Washington who are trying to make a point, especially from his own party.” Massie indicated Hegseth’s campaign appearance is a good sign, telling O’Keefe, “You don’t send the Secretary of War to Kentucky during a war if you think your candidate is up 10 points. That’s what you do when you realize your whole campaign is imploding.” House Speaker Mike Johnson declined to pick sides in the race, but said it would be “helpful to have a more reliable vote” as he leads a divided conference with a razor-thin majority. Mr. Trump has been successful in wielding his influence in races this year in Indiana and this weekend in Louisiana, where Sen. Bill Cassidy did not advance to a runoff after facing a challenger backed by Mr. Trump and a third candidate who also pledged loyalty to MAGA.

**Georgia governor’s race**
Popular Republican Gov. Brian Kemp is term-limited, leaving the seat open. The once solidly GOP state now has two Democratic senators and provided a key victory for former President Joe Biden in 2020, although it flipped back to Mr. Trump in 2024.

During the 2020 election, Mr. Trump zeroed in on Biden’s victory in Georgia for his baseless claims of voter fraud. In the days leading up to Congress’ certification of the election on Jan. 6, 2021, Mr. Trump called then-Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and said, “I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have.” Raffensperger resisted and he won reelection in 2022 against a challenger backed by Mr. Trump. The dramatic 2020 election is now the backdrop in the Republican primary to replace Kemp, with not just Raffensperger on the ballot, but two other prominent figures in that election: State Attorney General Chris Carr, who declined to pursue an election fraud case Mr. Trump pushed in 2020, and current Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who signed on as a phony elector as part of one of the schemes to overturn that election. Mr. Trump has backed Jones in this contest. Then, billionaire healthcare executive Rick Jackson leapt into the race, promising to become Mr. Trump’s “favorite governor” and pledging to spend at least $50 million on his campaign. He’s blown past that, having spent $83 million so far, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. AdImpact, which tracks television ad spending, said last month that more than $100 million had been spent so far on television advertising. Jackson led the pack, dropping $56 million on television advertising, followed by Jones, who has spent $26 million, according to the report. And the anti-Jones group Georgians for Integrity has spent nearly $20 million on ads, while Raffensperger has spent $2 million. There are four other Republicans on the ballot. If no candidate receives 50% of the vote, the top two Republican vote-getters will go to a runoff. There are also seven Democrats vying for their party’s nomination, despite having spent only $1.24 million total on television advertising so far. Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is considered the frontrunner in the race, although the race is likely to go to a runoff. Biden has weighed in on the race, backing Bottoms, his first endorsement since leaving office. There is another familiar name from the 2020 on the ballot on the Democratic side: Former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, who as a Republican had steadfastly refuted Mr. Trump’s 2020 election claims, is now seeking the Democratic nomination. Duncan wrote an op-ed in 2024 about his support for Biden, and he spoke at the Democratic convention that year in support of Harris after Biden dropped out of the race.

**Georgia Senate**
A handful of Republicans are vying for the GOP nomination on Tuesday to decide who will take on incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff in November. Ossoff has been in the Senate since 2021 when he delivered Democrats one of two runoff victories in Georgia and secured their majority. As the sole Democrat seeking reelection in a state the president won in 2024, the race represents a key prize for Republicans seeking to hold onto control of the Senate. But the GOP’s inability to coalesce behind a candidate, paired with a formidable fundraising effort, have appeared to improve Ossoff’s outlook. Reps. Mike Collins and Buddy Carter, along with former college football coach Derek Dooley, are facing off in what has become a messy primary in recent months. Dooley has Kemp’s endorsement, but the president has yet to endorse in the race, and the primary could go to a runoff in June if no candidate reaches 50%. The possibility of a prolonged GOP primary fight has appeared to improve the picture for Ossoff, and a special election in Georgia in April saw a massive leftward swing that could also bode well for the Democrat. The Cook Political Report rates the races as leaning Democrat, shifting its rating from a toss-up in April.

**Pennsylvania**
Democrats have a path to gain up to four seats in the House and could test Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s political capital with swing voters in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania’s 7th District, centered in the Lehigh Valley, is a top target for Democrats. After its boundaries were redrawn for the 2018 cycle, it was represented by former Democratic Rep. Susan Wild for three terms before Rep. Ryan Mackenzie defeated her in 2024 by about a point.

The district includes the bluer Lehigh County, including Allentown, as well as Northampton County, which has gone to the presidential candidate who eventually won the national election in every cycle except three since 1920. The frontrunner for the Democratic nomination is Bob Brooks, a firefighter and union leader who’s backed by Shapiro and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Democrats have targeted Pennsylvania’s 10th District in every cycle since 2018. The seat, representing Harrisburg, York and the nearby rural areas, has been held by Mr. Trump’s staunch ally Rep. Scott Perry since 2016. Janelle Stelson, a longtime local television anchor, is the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination. She narrowly lost to Perry by about 5,100 votes in 2024. Like Brooks, Stelson is backed by both Shapiro and the DCCC. In the 8th District, comprising Scranton, Wilkes-Barre and some of the Poconos, freshman GOP Rep. Rob Bresnahan is facing a tough reelection campaign. The region was effectively represented in the House by Democrats from 2006 to 2024, but it includes areas that have shifted to the right in the MAGA era. Luzerne County, in the southwestern portion of the district, went for the Democrat in presidential elections from 1992 to 2012, but it was won by Mr. Trump the past three cycles. The clear contender to win the Democratic nomination on Tuesday is Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, who has the support of Shapiro and state and national Democrats. The most challenging target for Democrats and the toughest test for Shapiro looms in the 1st District, north of Philadelphia and containing Bucks County. The region has been represented by moderate GOP Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick since 2017. Fitzpatrick won reelection in 2024 by nearly 13 points, but local elections in the county show shifts to the left. When Fitzpatrick first won the seat, Republicans controlled all but one of the county’s 12 elected offices. Today, Democrats have that same supermajority Republicans once had. CBS News reported in April that Mr. Trump’s criticisms of Pope Leo XVI and the Iran war have Catholics in Bucks — who make up more than a third of the county, according to the privately run 2020 U.S. Religion Census — watching Fitzpatrick and the administration closely. The top Democratic contender in the district is Shapiro-endorsed Bob Harvie, the vice chair of the county’s Board of Commissions. Republicans have few U.S. House pickup opportunities in Pennsylvania this cycle, with one longshot chance in Democratic Rep. Chris DeLuzio’s 17th District, which comprises the Pittsburgh suburbs and Beaver County. But if Republicans are able to hold the line in their four frontline districts, it could be damaging for Shapiro’s greater political aspirations. If he’s able to help deliver victories to Democrats in those districts, it could attract the attention of donors and party leaders in the race for the White House in 2028.

**Alabama**
Alabama’s Republican Gov. Kay Ivey earlier this month declared a special selection that will be held on Aug. 11 in the House races in the state’s 1st, 2nd, 6th and 7th Congressional Districts. These four districts will be affected by the state’s use of its 2023 map, which was made possible by last week’s Supreme Court decision. The 2023 map was blocked by the court because it had only one majority-Black district, but the Supreme Court last month narrowed the scope of the Voting Rights Act for majority-minority districts.

House primaries in the state’s other three districts will still take place Tuesday. Ivey is term-limited, and U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville is considered the frontrunner for the GOP nomination for governor. But he still faces two GOP challengers. On the Democratic side, there are six candidates vying for the nomination, including former Sen. Doug Jones, whom Tuberville defeated for the Senate seat in 2020. As Tuberville pursues his bid to be governor, six Republicans are vying for the GOP nomination to replace him, and four candidates running for the Democratic nomination. Idaho will be holding contests on Tuesday for governor and both members of its congressional delegation are facing primary challengers.

Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/2026-midterm-elections-primaries-kentucky-georgia-pennsyvlania-alabama-idaho/

Who could benefit from Trump’s $1.7+ billion “anti-weaponization” fund?

Politics – CBSNews.com — 2026-05-18 17:49:00 — www.cbsnews.com

When President Trump and the Justice Department settled the president’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service and Treasury Department Monday over the leak of his tax returns, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced, as part of the agreement, the creation of a $1.7+ billion “anti-weaponization fund,” which he said would “provide a systematic process to hear and redress claims of others who suffered weaponization and lawfare.” The fund’s creation is the latest step Mr. Trump has taken to enact his pledge to bring “retribution” for his supporters, after pardoning roughly 1,500 defendants who were convicted of crimes committed during the Capitol insurrection, stripping security clearances from his perceived political enemies and demanding his Justice Department to investigate them.

During Mr. Trump’s second administration, Justice Department leaders have fired dozens of staff who investigated Mr. Trump and his allies as part of two special counsel investigations, one related to his alleged mishandling of classified records and the other tied to his conduct following the 2020 presidential election. They have also created a “weaponization working group” to review Biden administration law enforcement policies. And now the Justice Department will control an unprecedented amount of taxpayer money to potentially dole out to those it deems wrongly investigated or prosecuted.

A spokesperson for the Trump legal team said in a statement that Mr. Trump “is entering into this settlement squarely for the benefit of the American people, and he will continue his fight to hold those who wrong America and Americans accountable.” After the fund was announced, ethics experts were quick to raise questions about how any claims against the fund would be processed — who’s eligible to receive a settlement, and who’s arbitrating the claims?

According to a memorandum signed by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who was also previously one of Mr. Trump’s defense attorneys, within 60 days, the Treasury will move $1.776 billion to an account “for the sole use” of the “Anti-Weaponization Fund.” The fund will be overseen by a commission of five members appointed by the attorney general, which will have the power to issue formal apologies and issue monetary relief owed to claimants. One member will be chosen “in consultation with congressional leadership,” the department said. A member may be removed from the commission, but a replacement must be chosen the same way the member was selected.

The department said the fund will stop processing claims on Dec. 15, 2028, just over a month before the next president is inaugurated. Any money remaining in the fund will revert back to the federal government, the department said, adding that the U.S. “has no liability” if funds are misused by the claimants.

It’s unclear who specifically is eligible to access the funds. The Justice Department said in a press release announcing the settlement that there are “no partisan requirements to file a claim.” If past settlements and actions by the Justice Department provide any insight, it’s likely that some of Mr. Trump’s highest-profile supporters and allies will benefit. Jan. 6 rioters — including those convicted of the most violent behavior during the attack but later pardoned by Mr. Trump — could likely apply for money, as could high-profile former Trump administration and campaign officials who were litigating against the Justice Department before coming to their own settlement agreements.

Earlier this year, the Justice Department also agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by Mark Houck, a prominent anti-abortion rights opponent who was acquitted at trial in early 2023 on FACE Act charges. His lawyer told CBS News that the Justice Department had agreed to pay him $1.1 million to settle the suit. The Justice Department also recently settled two claims by former Trump national security official and right-wing activist Michael Flynn, with one case settling for at least $1.25 million, a source familiar with the settlement negotiations told CBS News at the time. Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows is also asking the Justice Department to reimburse him for legal fees he incurred in multiple federal and state investigations in the wake of the 2020 presidential election.

Outside of potential future litigation and legislation, there appears to be limited oversight of the fund, ethics experts said. Blanche or a future attorney general are authorized to audit the use of the fund. The Justice Department said that the fund must send a report to the attorney general once a quarter with details on who has received relief and what form of relief was granted. Richard Briffault, a professor at Columbia University Law School who specializes in government ethics, said the initial lawsuit that led to the settlement was a “collusive suit” because Mr. Trump sued his own government and settled the case between two entities he controls, his legal team and the Justice Department.

Briffault said that without public guidelines and details of how the commission will work, “it’s just kind of an open-ended slush fund.” “It’s possible some of them might have legitimate claims, but there doesn’t seem to be any requirement that they persuade a judge that they were mistreated or they persuade a jury they were mistreated, it’s not quite clear,” Briffault said. “Based on what’s come out so far, it’s just a fund that the taxpayers are going to pay for to cover claims by people who he thinks were mistreated by the prior administration, without them having to prove anything in court.”

The fund’s creation has already sparked a litany of criticism from government watchdog and ethics groups. “This is the greatest abuse of the legal system in history, so far as I’m concerned,” Liz Oyer, a former pardon attorney at the Justice Department, said in an interview with CBS News. Oyer oversaw the handling of pardons and clemency from spring 2022 through the first days of the Trump administration before resigning. Oyer said she believes there is a “criminal conspiracy” between the Trump legal team and the Justice Department by allowing the fund to be created with taxpayer dollars. “There’s no transparency. The five members of the fund appear to have total discretion to award money to whomever they choose. There does not appear to be any oversight mechanism,” Oyer said, adding, “There’s no process for public input. It appears that these five people have complete discretion to give away our money to whomever they choose.”

The nonprofit Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington issued a statement condemning Monday’s settlement as “the most brazen act of self-dealing in the history of the presidency.” “While Americans are struggling with an affordability crisis, President Trump plans to use nearly $1.8 billion in taxpayer money to pay off his friends and allies — including potentially the violent insurrectionists who attacked the Capitol on January 6th,” CREW president Donald K. Sherman said, adding that it “quite likely” violates the Constitution’s Domestic Emoluments Clause.

Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/who-could-benefit-from-trumps-1-7-billion-weaponization-fund/