Overview
- The Justice Department has not approved any payout, and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, a former Trump lawyer, could be in the position to review high-dollar settlements.
- Republican senators including Lindsey Graham and Thom Tillis voiced discomfort, urging adherence to recusal rules and warning about the optics during a government shutdown.
- House Democrats Jamie Raskin and Robert Garcia requested Trump’s claims and related records, arguing the Domestic Emoluments Clause bars in-office payments beyond the president’s salary.
- Trump said he was greatly damaged by what he calls wrongful prosecutions and pledged to give any award to charity, acknowledging the awkwardness of seeking payment from his own administration.
- Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro criticized the request as rife with conflicts of interest and predicted legal challenges, even warning it could invite impeachment efforts.