Trump regime

NPR - The Justice Department says it will abide by a federal court order that puts funds for the Trump administration's nearly $1.8 billion anti-weaponization program on hold. The administration says the fund would compensate people who allege they were targeted by the federal government. The fund has faced bipartisan backlash and concerns that it would be used to pay people convicted for storming the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.  NPR's Elena Moore tells Up First that the issue has elicited rare Republican pushback. Even after the DOJ stated it would abide by the court order, some Senate Republicans continued to push for the White House to end the fund. Moore says it has become a distraction as Republicans focus on the upcoming midterms. The Hill - President Trump named William Pulte, a feisty Trump loyalist who runs the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), as the acting director of national intelligence, replacing to replace Tulsi Gabbard, who resigned last month. Pulte is a controversial pick for several reasons: 1) Pulte has no high-level national security experience. He previously owned a construction company and a private equity firm. Now, in this new role, he will be coordinating U.S. intelligence among more than a dozen government agencies. Trump justified Pulte’s appointment by arguing he has “deep experience managing the most sensitive matters in America.” 2) He’s controversial even within the Trump administration. He frustrated Justice Department officials by pushing for Trump enemies to be prosecuted. And his public fight with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent over Trump enemy prosecutions is one of his most notable moments. 3) Trump says Pulte will also keep his job running the FHFA, as well as remaining the chairman of Fannie Maie and Freddie Mac. Keep in mind: Trump indicted Pulte would serve as the *acting* director of national intelligence, meaning he may not need Senate confirmation like a director of national intelligence would need.