(WASHINGTON) — Republicans on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Thursday voted to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress.

The committee’s party-line vote of 8-5 came after Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment against self-incrimination and declined to answer questions at a hearing last week about his role in handling the COVID-19 pandemic and its origins.

Republican Sen. Rand Paul, the committee’s chair, said Fauci could not plead the Fifth Amendment given he was preemptively pardoned by President Joe Biden out of fear of political prosecution.

“We are voting on whether a witness who has received the benefit of a sweeping federal pardon can be ordered by this committee to answer questions and then defy that order without consequence,” Paul said ahead of the vote.

David Schertler, legal counsel for Fauci, called Thursday’s vote “a crude political stunt intended to punish Dr. Fauci for exercising his constitutional rights.”

“The Senate should reject Senator Paul’s meritless and politically-motivated contempt resolution,” Schertler said in a statement. “For years, Senator Paul has proclaimed to anyone who would listen that Dr. Fauci should be prosecuted and put in prison. Dr. Fauci has committed no crime — and Senator Paul knows it.”

Democrats on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee attempted several times to table the contempt resolution but were unsuccessful.

A contempt resolution would normally now head to the full Senate, where it would require 60 votes. It is unlikely the Fauci resolution would receive enough support in the full Senate to pass.

But Paul told reporters he is opting instead to immediately send it to the Department of Justice in the hopes they’ll take action. It’s unclear how the Department of Justice will respond.

“We will hand deliver it today to the attorney general, and we will hand deliver it today to the District of Columbia to the U.S. Attorney there, and from there we’ll find out. But this way, we don’t sit a month waiting to determine whether or not we bring it to the Senate floor,” Paul said.

Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, the committee’s ranking member, criticized the vote and the “damaging precedent” it sets, saying this “could harm our ability to conduct future investigations and disregards constitutional protections long recognized by the U.S. Senate.”

“This resolution will not provide the committee with any additional information, or compel Dr. Fauci to provide answers to our inquiries. Criminal contempt is punitive; it does not compel a witness to answer questions or produce the documents we’d all like to see,” Peters said.

Peters also condemned Paul’s suggestion of referring the contempt resolution directly to the Department of Justice after the vote, saying “that would be even more dangerous and widely unprecedented move.”

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — “No final decision has been made yet” about the future of the new Air Force One jet donated by Qatar following President Donald Trump’s second term, a White House official told ABC News.

Trump has pledged for more a year that the new Air Force One, a Boeing 747-8 that was given to the president in a controversial move, would be transferred to his presidential library after his term concluded.

Sources familiar with the proposed arrangement have previously told ABC News that ownership of the plane will be transferred shortly before Trump leaves office to the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library Foundation.

Questions about the president’s plans for the plane remain — including whether Trump would keep it for personal use, if he would leave it for the next president as part of the Air Force One fleet, or if there are other plans in store. 

The gifted plane has long been expected to be used as the new Air Force One until shortly before Trump leaves office, at which time ownership of the plane will be transferred to the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library Foundation, sources familiar with the proposed arrangement have previously told ABC News.

The White House official’s comments on Wednesday followed reports from NBC News and The New York Times that called into question the fate of the plane.

Trump’s son Eric Trump reportedly told NBC News in a text message that it was “not the plan” for the jet to be delivered to the library. “No. That’s not the plan at the moment for Miami,” he reportedly texted the outlet. 

Eric Trump, who is involved in developing his father’s presidential library in Miami, suggested that an older decommissioned Air Force One jet would instead be going to the library, not the Qatari-gifted one, NBC News reported.

The Qatari royal family’s donation of the luxury jet valued at approximately $400 million, an unprecedented foreign gift, raised questions from some lawmakers and ethics experts.

The Air Force last year originally estimated it would cost less than $400 million to retrofit the plane to meet stringent security standards, though it’s unclear how much exactly has been spent so far.

Prior to the jet’s first presidential flight in July, the U.S. Air Force said it had been modifying the jet Texas since September to meet the security, communications and other needs to transport the president. Many of the details of the retrofitting on the new plane are considered classified.

Trump in July said plane would be further “maxed out” with security features, undergoing an upgrade that was expected to put it out of commission for about a month in the near future.

Those comments came after the plane carried Trump to July’s NATO summit in Turkey. As Trump prepared to depart the summit, the Secret Service urged the president to take the older Air Force One jet as a precaution, due in part for the differences in security capabilities, ABC News learned at the time.

When asked in May 2025 by ABC News’ Rachel Scott about the future of the plane, the president said it would be sent “directly” to his presidential library after he leaves office, adding, “I wouldn’t be using it, no.”

Trump repeatedly referenced former President Ronald Reagan’s library as a model for his own. A Boeing 707 Air Force One jet was retired to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, in 2001.

“Someday, it will be like Ronald Reagan, they decommission them,” Trump said during the May 2025 event. “You know, they get to a certain age, they decommission them. It’ll go to my library. They’re talking about going to my library in years out.”

ABC News’ Rachel Scott contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump called Rep. Max Miller on Monday and raised concerns about his reelection bid following domestic abuse allegations, two sources tell ABC News.

Police reports obtained by ABC News show that Miller’s ex-wife, Emily Moreno, the daughter of Sen. Bernie Moreno, alleged multiple incidents of physical violence during their marriage and divorce proceedings. Miller, a Republican seeking another term representing Ohio’s 7th Congressional District, has denied the allegations.

During his phone conversation with Trump, Miller denied the allegations to the president and showed no interest in leaving the race, sources said.

Miller’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the phone call. The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

On Monday, prior to the phone call, Trump called Miller a “good person” and said he was going to “let the families figure that out” when asked about the allegations.

Miller, a former Trump White House aide, was married to Emily Moreno from 2022 to 2024 and the two have one child, a 2-year-old daughter. The couple married at Trump’s Bedminster, New Jersey, club at a ceremony that included a toast by Trump.

The police reports obtained by ABC News also show Emily Moreno told the police that her daughter received physical injuries while in Miller’s care. Miller denies abusing his wife or daughter. He was never charged with a crime and the Department of Children and Family Services did not find evidence to substantiate allegations of child abuse, according to records released in court filings.

Miller faces a Wednesday deadline to drop out in order to be replaced on the ballot.

He is facing growing scrutiny — including from his former father-in-law, who said on Monday that Miller “should not serve in the House” — and is lashing out on social media at senators who support him stepping aside.

According to report by Politico, those Republican senators include Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia and Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas.

Miller responded on social media late on Monday, specifically addressing Capito, who told Politico she supports Moreno’s position.

Miller replied, “@SenCapito here’s the facts: 1. Every accusation that has been thrown my way has been found unsubstantiated by the court system as well as mine and my ex-wife’s court appointed mediator (who is a psychologist and mandatory reporter). Let me know if you want me to read the rest of the files to you.”

He did not address Marshall’s comments to Politico. Marshall told the news outlet that Miller “should resign. He should quit.”

A lawyer for former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham separately announced on social media on Monday evening that he has “filed for a Temporary Restraining Order against Cong. Max Miller (R-OH) on behalf of former Trump Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham.”

Grisham is currently suing Miller over violations of the terms of a confidential settlement related to his defamation case against her. She alleged that he abused her during their romantic relationship during the first Trump administration. Miller has denied her allegations of abuse.

The White House declined to comment last week on allegations of abuse by Miller toward Grisham or Moreno.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — Under pressure from two Republican senators blocking his confirmation as the next attorney general, Todd Blanche said he is formally rescinding his establishment of President Donald Trump’s so-called “Anti-Weaponization Fund.”

Blanche posted two separate orders on X Sunday night, one rescinding the nearly $1.8 billion fund, as well as another clarifying language regarding the scope of an arrangement that had shielded Trump from facing further IRS audits of his past tax returns.

The move prompted Republican Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, who had been holding up Blanche’s nomination, to announce Monday that they are ready to move forward.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote on Blanche’s nomination on Tuesday at 9 a.m. Blanche will likely need the support of every Republican on the committee to advance to the floor.

He is expected to be voted out of committee, setting up a final confirmation vote later this week.

“We are pleased that the Department of Justice has issued a formal order terminating the anti-weaponization fund,” Cornyn and Tillis said in a joint statement. “Additionally, the Department has acknowledged in a binding written order that the audit settlement is limited to the plaintiffs and the scope does not extend beyond the defendants in the lawsuit, the IRS and the Treasury, addressing concerns that multiple of our Republican colleagues share.”

“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,” they said.

As part of Trump’s settlement with the IRS in his $10 billion lawsuit against the agency, the DOJ issued an addendum, signed by Blanche in his role as acting attorney general, that would bar the government from continuing any existing audits of tax returns filed by Trump, his family and their companies.

Cornyn said last week that he did need the DOJ to modify the language of the settlement, but that he wants written documentation that the settlement won’t provide tax audit immunity that extends to affiliated organizations for Trump and his family that weren’t part of the lawsuit.

Blanche’s post on Sunday is a signal that he had secured approval from Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, who had been key holdouts on his nomination. The GOP senators had been working behind closed doors and in private talks with Blanche and his team to craft statements they’d find acceptable to alter the language of the controversial settlement. 

“Sen. Cornyn has reached an agreement with the Department of Justice, which will be issuing a formal order permanently terminating the anti-weaponization fund and making clear in a binding written document that the scope of the audit settlement is limited to only the plaintiffs, including the President, and the IRS,” Cornyn spokesperson Natalie Yezbick said in a statement late on Sunday.

Some legal experts and even MAGA supporters of the fund, however, have already begun questioning whether it precludes DOJ from giving mass payouts to pro-Trump rioters or the clarification that Cornyn had initially sought to the IRS immunity clause.

The order dealing with IRS immunity notably states that DOJ would interpret the order to mean that it only applies to plaintiffs in Trump and his son’s initial $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS — but that interpretation doesn’t appear to be similarly binding on Trump’s personal lawyers or his family.

And some previous vocal supporters of the so-called “Anti-Weaponization Fund” are already cheering on the language of the order rescinding it — noting that there’s nothing specifically barring DOJ from payouts to pro-Trump supporters who may have attacked police during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

Blanche’s orders on Sunday come after Trump floated the possibility of temporarily withdrawing Blanche’s nomination to permanently lead the Department of Justice because of the resistance from the two outgoing Republican senators.

Both senators’ terms will end in January. Cornyn lost a primary battle in Texas earlier this year after Trump endorsed his opponent, Ken Paxton. Tillis announced last year he would not seek reelection after Trump threatened to field primary challengers.

Withdrawing Blanche’s nomination is a decision that would have no consequence in terms of Blanche leading the DOJ.

Blanche can continue to serve as acting attorney general. Acting department officials can serve in the role for 210 days, according to the Federal Vacancies Reform Act — however, that resets if a nomination is withdrawn.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — Ohio congressman Max Miller is denying allegations of domestic abuse made by his ex-wife.

Police reports obtained by ABC News show that Miller’s ex-wife, Emily Moreno, the daughter of Sen. Bernie Moreno, alleged multiple incidents of physical violence during their marriage and divorce proceedings. The allegations come amid Miller’s reelection bid for what is seen as a safe Republican seat and have led to calls from some Democratic members of Congress for an ethics investigation and resignation.

Miller, a former Trump White House aide, was married to Emily Moreno from 2022 to 2024 and the two have one child, a 2-year-old daughter.  The couple married at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate at a ceremony that included a toast by President Donald Trump.

In the police reports, Moreno told police officers that Miller “threw her against the wall, which resulted in an obvious grab mark on her upper arm” and had previously “held a gun to her head” and threw hot water on her. According to the police report, Moreno also recounts her child telling her “Daddy kill you.”

Additionally, the report shows Moreno told the police that her daughter received physical injuries while in Miller’s care.

Miller, who represents Ohio’s 7th District, was never charged with a crime and the Department of Children and Family Services did not find evidence to substantiate allegations of child abuse, according to records released in court filings.

Miller denies abusing his wife or daughter. In a defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife, he has argued that this is a “repeated pattern” of false accusations by his wife meant “to ruin my reputation, gain an edge in custody and litigation matters, and seek revenge.”

Prior allegations against Miller

This is not the first time Miller has been accused of violence against women. Former White House press Secretary Stephanie Grisham alleged in her 2021 memoir that she had been physically abused by her partner while working at the White House.

She later identified that man as Miller in a Washington Post op-ed. She claims that she told White House officials at the time about the alleged abuse and they failed to take action.

The White House declined to comment on allegations of abuse by Miller towards Grisham or Moreno.

Miller’s office directed ABC News to Miller’s past social media posts denying the alleged abuse and attacking past reporting on the case.

Miller denied Grisham’s allegations and sued her for defamation while running for Congress in 2023. They reached a confidential settlement. Grisham is now suing Miller for violating the terms of their settlement by discussing the case in his denials of the allegations by Moreno.

Lawyers for Emily Moreno on Thursday applied for a restraining order against Miller, citing “harassment and threats” by the congressman against the legal team.

Lawyers for Moreno have not replied to requests for comment.

Miller has gone after his Republican colleague and ex-father in law Sen. Bernie Moreno publicly, posting on X in May: “It is unfortunate that @berniemoreno continues to fund and enable his daughter’s malicious campaign to ruin my life despite his knowledge of her mental health issues. Bernie, this must be distracting from your job. These antics harm your own grandchild. Anytime you want to put a stop to this, you can.”  

A spokesperson for the senator told The Washington Post that Moreno’s “top priority is the safety and well-being of his daughter and granddaughter.” The statement added: “While he does not litigate these matters in the media or respond to baseless public attacks, he will do whatever it takes to ensure a just outcome for his family.”

Miller is facing off against Democrat Brian Poindexter, a union iron worker, in November. Poindexter’s campaign did not respond to ABC’s requests for comment.

Last month, Cook Political Report changed the race’s ranking from “Solid Republican” to “Likely Republican” shortly after internal polling found Democratic challenger Poindexter trailing Miller by just one point.

Miller won the district with only 51% of the vote in 2024, largely due to a credible third party candidate. Trump won the district with 55% of the vote in 2024.

While his opponent has not made the allegations against Miller central to his campaign as of yet, outside groups have stepped in to elevate the accusations.

The pro-labor Battleground Alliance PAC conducted robocalls to roughly 100,000 households last month recounting Moreno and Grisham’s claims. A spokesperson for the PAC did not reply to ABC News’ requests for comment.

The Republican National Congressional Committee declined to comment on the specific allegations against Miller and as a rule does not comment on spending decisions.

The House Majority PAC, which helps elect Democrats, told ABC it is “willing to do whatever it takes to take back the House, and nothing is off the table. Democrats are expanding the map deeper into Trump territory by the day, and Brian Poindexter will defeat the scandal plagued Max Miller.”

They did not specifically respond to a question about planned spending to support Poindexter in that race.

‘Troubling accusations’ and calls for investigation

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine was asked about the allegations on Thursday by ABC”s Cleveland affiliate and said that they were “troubling accusations” and that “people of the district are having to weigh the facts.”

Ohio Democratic Rep. Shontel Brown, who represents the neighboring 11th District, called on Miller to resign.

Miller is hardly the only member of Congress to attract attention for allegations of misconduct towards women this year alone. Reps. Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales departed congress this year amid allegations of misconduct with aides.  

Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., remains under a House ethics investigation for a range of allegations, including domestic violence by a former partner. He denies all allegations of misconduct.

House Speaker Mike Johnson was asked about the allegations against Miller and Mills at a press conference last week and said: “Well, the key word there is allegation. We have a process here. The House Ethics Committee works on those things. If allegations are made, they work through a process. So I I’m not in the business of commenting on investigations as they as they’re in process, and we’ll see how that shakes out.”

At least one member of Congress has called for an ethics investigation into Miller. Democratic Congressman Sam Liccardo of California posted on X: “Allegations that Max Miller abused his wife and child demand an immediate House Ethics Committee investigation. Congress must never serve as a safe harbor for abusers.”

The House Ethics Committee declined to comment on the allegations against Miller and whether there is an active investigation by the committee into his conduct.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump on Thursday floated the possibility of temporarily withdrawing Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general as his confirmation is being held up by two outgoing Republican senators.

“Todd Blanche is a STAR, and everyone knows it! He has the potential to go down as one of the Greatest Attorney Generals of All Time. However, John Cornyn, of Texas, and Thom Tillis, of North Carolina, both of whom I refused to Endorse, and whose political careers have been ended by my action, are refusing to vote for this Great Nominee, who will remain, in any event, as Acting,” Trump wrote in a social media post.

“I have no objection to temporarily withdrawing Todd’s name, if they do not do the right thing, and putting him back after Cornyn and Tillis are out of office,” Trump wrote.

Both senators’ terms will end in January. Cornyn lost a primary battle in Texas earlier this year after Trump endorsed his opponent, Ken Paxton. Tillis announced last year he would not seek reelection after Trump threatened to field primary challengers.

Cornyn, in response to Trump’s social media post, suggested that, in addition to him and Tillis, there are more lawmakers with “concerns” regarding Blanche.

“POTUS is mistaken if he believes concerns about the provisions in his tax lawsuit settlement are limited to me and Senator Tillis,” Cornyn wrote on X. 

Cornyn is demanding the Department of Justice put in writing that the nearly $1.8 billion so-called “Anti-Weaponization Fund” is officially dead, and that the scope of Trump’s immunity deal with the IRS be narrowed.

As part of Trump’s settlement with the IRS in his $10 billion lawsuit against the agency, the DOJ issued an addendum, signed by Blanche in his role as acting attorney general, that would bar the government from continuing any existing audits of tax returns filed by Trump, his family and their companies.

“I know that Todd Blanche understands it, but I think he’s probably getting some pushback from the White House, and that’s making things more complicated than there needs to be,” Cornyn told ABC News on Thursday morning.

Cornyn said he wanted the DOJ to rewrite the IRS settlement agreement itself and said they were “reluctant” to do so. Cornyn then said he offered them an alternative.

“So we provided some additional paper…which, if he would put that in writing, would satisfy my concerns because he said the weaponization fund is dead. He said the audit protections don’t extend beyond the parties in the lawsuit, and it doesn’t cover any federal entities,” the senator said.

When asked by a reporter if the DOJ committed to doing that, Cornyn said “no.”

“I don’t know whether they think they can wait us out or we’ll cave, but I assure you, we won’t,” Cornyn said.

Tillis said the administration could “roll the dice” and wait out his and Cornyn’s Senate terms, but said Trump is getting bad advice on how to proceed with Blanche’s nomination.

“Hey, 158 days they can try it again, roll the dice on what the Senate confirmation process looks like next year. It’s all on him. It’s certainly within his authority to do that,” Tillis said.

The Senate Judiciary Committee postponed its scheduled Thursday vote on Blanche’s nomination for attorney general amid the resistance from Cornyn and Tillis.

Sources told ABC News that DOJ sent an updated proposal to the two senators last night to try and quell their concerns. 

But when we asked on Thursday morning whether Wednesday night’s proposal moved him any closer to voting for Blanche, Cornyn responded, “We are no closer than we were before.”

Withdrawing Blanche’s nomination is a decision that would have no consequence in terms of Blanche leading the DOJ. Blanche can continue to serve as acting attorney general.

Acting department officials can serve in the role for 210 days, according to the Federal Vacancies Reform Act — however, that resets if a nomination is withdrawn.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.