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National Review • May 23, 2026 10:30

The Trump Slush Fund Is an Abuse of Political Power, Not a Legal Wrong

Political Leaning Analysis

Left Center Right

Score: 0.26 • Center / Neutral

Once again, Trump is doing what Democrats did, just far more ostentatiously.

Story Timeline

Mon 23:59 - The Hill

Paul: $1 billion for White House ballroom likely coming out of budget reconciliation bill

Tue 10:00 - Fox News

Fragile relationship with House GOP has Senate Republicans warning 'something needs to change'

Wed 10:00 - The Hill

Senate GOP balks at $1B in security for White House ballroom, despite Secret Service pitch

Wed 13:07 - Fox News

Senate Republicans balk at $1B White House ballroom request: ‘You made that number up’

Wed 13:35 - The Hill

Watch live: House Republicans give remarks amid budget reconciliation battle

Wed 16:28 - Fox News

Senate Democrats finally crack GOP unity on Trump's Iran war as Murkowski flips

Thu 10:00 - The Hill

House Republicans divided over ballroom security funding

Thu 10:00 - The Hill

House Republicans more optimistic about midterm chances after ‘seismic’ court rulings

Thu 11:00 - Washington Examiner

Secret Service failures expose glaring problem within agency

Fri 13:44 - The Hill

Senate parliamentarian rules against some immigration enforcement funding

Fri 15:36 - Washington Examiner

Eighty House Republicans vote to cut $482 million from NATO and put it into US military bases

Sun 01:51 - Washington Examiner

Senate parliamentarian deals setback to Trump’s ballroom security funding

Sun 08:37 - Al Jazeera English

Federal funding for Trump ballroom in trouble after Senate ruling

Sun 13:31 - The Hill

Senate parliamentarian rules against Trump’s White House ballroom funding in budget bill

Sun 15:04 - Fox News

Senate parliamentarian rejects $1 billion in reconciliation bill for White House security, Trump ballroom

Sun 21:00 - The Hill

GOP lawmakers battle as conservatives press for third budget reconciliation bill

Mon 10:00 - The Hill

Senate GOP looking for off-ramp from White House ballroom debacle

Mon 13:08 - The Hill

GOP infighting over Trump ballroom; Cassidy falls to Trump's candidate: Join the live discussion

Mon 20:01 - Fox News

Senate Republican threatens to derail ICE, Border Patrol package over Trump's billion-dollar request

Tue 02:11 - The Hill

Tillis urges GOP colleagues to hold budget bill over White House ballroom funding

Tue 04:00 - Washington Examiner

Trump vents at Thune over ballroom security funding setback

Tue 10:00 - The Hill

Trump’s SAVE America Act push creates fresh headaches for GOP leaders

Tue 15:38 - The Hill

Thune ‘not a big fan’ of Trump administration setting up a $1.8B compensation fund for MAGA allies

Tue 16:01 - The Hill

Trump defends White House ballroom during impromptu construction site tour

Tue 16:38 - The Hill

Rand Paul slams Democrats for pushing GOP to reconciliation bill: ‘Y’all gave up’

Tue 16:51 - Fox News

Trump pulls back curtain on White House ballroom’s fortress-like defenses above and deep below

Tue 19:48 - Washington Post

Trump shows off White House ballroom construction as funding stalls in Congress

Wed 10:00 - The Hill

The Memo: Newsom, other big-name Democrats urge party to name ‘villains’

Wed 12:00 - Fox News

Newsom’s ‘break the glass’ warning fuels Hilton accusation Democrats are exploiting jungle primary fears

Wed 13:34 - Euronews

Trump shows off massive White House ballroom construction site

Wed 22:17 - Washington Examiner

198 Democrats oppose requiring parental consent for student gender changes in schools

Wed 22:33 - Washington Examiner

GOP weighs scrubbing White House security funding from immigration bill over ballroom controversy

Wed 22:33 - The Hill

Democrats set sights on Medicare home care

Thu 12:00 - The Hill

Democrats cautiously optimistic after Trump backs Paxton in Texas Senate runoff

Thu 18:36 - NPR

Democrats wanted answers for what went wrong in 2024. Now, there are more questions

Thu 22:04 - Fox News

Democrats revolt over 'biological' wording in women's history museum bill

Thu 23:43 - Washington Examiner

Six Republicans join Democrats in sinking legislation to build women’s history museum

Sat 10:30 - National Review

The Trump Slush Fund Is an Abuse of Political Power, Not a Legal Wrong

Sat 13:00 - Fox News

Inside the rise of hardship politics as wealthy Democrats eye 2028

Different Perspectives

Al Jazeera English

1 article

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08:37

Federal funding for Trump ballroom in trouble after Senate ruling

Republicans seek to allocate $1bn in public funds for Secret Service security upgrades linked to the plans.

Euronews

1 article

▼

13:34

Trump shows off massive White House ballroom construction site

Donald Trump toured the construction site of his proposed White House ballroom in Washington, calling it “one of the most beautiful buildings” ever built in the United States.

Fox News

9 articles

▼

13:00

Inside the rise of hardship politics as wealthy Democrats eye 2028

Governors Newsom and Pritzker lean into family trauma narratives to connect with voters as they build national profiles ahead of a possible 2028 run.

22:04

Democrats revolt over 'biological' wording in women's history museum bill

Democratic lawmakers voted against a women's history museum bill Republicans amended to focus on biological women, not trans people.

12:00

Newsom’s ‘break the glass’ warning fuels Hilton accusation Democrats are exploiting jungle primary fears

Republican frontrunner Steve Hilton blasts Gov. Newsom for fearmongering, claims Democrats want to split GOP votes in California governor's race.

16:51

Trump pulls back curtain on White House ballroom’s fortress-like defenses above and deep below

President Trump unveils White House ballroom construction, touting missile defense, drone capacity and security features at the six-story-deep site.

20:01

Senate Republican threatens to derail ICE, Border Patrol package over Trump's billion-dollar request

An internal GOP dispute over funding for Trump's ballroom threatens to derail the $72 billion reconciliation package for immigration operations.

15:04

Senate parliamentarian rejects $1 billion in reconciliation bill for White House security, Trump ballroom

The Senate parliamentarian ruled against including $1 billion in White House security funding tied to Trump's planned ballroom in the budget bill.

16:28

Senate Democrats finally crack GOP unity on Trump's Iran war as Murkowski flips

Senate Republicans fractured on Iran war powers as Rand Paul and GOP colleagues voted to end Trump's Operation Epic Fury military campaign.

13:07

Senate Republicans balk at $1B White House ballroom request: ‘You made that number up’

Republicans struggle with a $1 billion Secret Service request tucked into the Senate immigration package, pressing for more details on the spending.

10:00

Fragile relationship with House GOP has Senate Republicans warning 'something needs to change'

Senate Republicans say communication with the House GOP must improve as they prepare to fund ICE and Border Patrol through budget reconciliation.

NPR

1 article

▼

18:36

Democrats wanted answers for what went wrong in 2024. Now, there are more questions

The Democratic Party wanted a review of the 2024 election. Then, the DNC learned the report was incomplete and unverifiable, party chairman Ken Martin said Thursday, releasing an annotated version.

The Hill

18 articles

▼

12:00

Democrats cautiously optimistic after Trump backs Paxton in Texas Senate runoff

Democrats are feeling anxious but hopeful about their chances of winning a Senate seat in Texas following President Trump's decision to back state Attorney General Ken Paxton (R), who is …

22:33

Democrats set sights on Medicare home care

Presented by Coalition to Strengthen America’s Healthcare {beacon} Health Care Health Care The Big Story Democrats push Medicare home care Senate Democrats are honing in on health affordability issues ahead …

10:00

The Memo: Newsom, other big-name Democrats urge party to name ‘villains’

Big-name Democrats urged their party to get more pointed in its attacks — naming “villains” rather than casting arguments in abstract terms — during a major conference in Washington, D.C., …

16:38

Rand Paul slams Democrats for pushing GOP to reconciliation bill: ‘Y’all gave up’

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) criticized Senate Democrats on Tuesday for pushing Republicans into a reconciliation process to fund immigration agencies within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). “The process Democrats …

16:01

Trump defends White House ballroom during impromptu construction site tour

President Trump defended the construction of the White House ballroom in remarks to reporters on Tuesday. “All of this paid for by myself,” Trump told reporters during impromptu remarks from …

15:38

Thune ‘not a big fan’ of Trump administration setting up a $1.8B compensation fund for MAGA allies

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) says he’s “not a big fan” of the Trump administration’s decision to set up a $1.8 billion legal compensation fund for MAGA allies who …

10:00

Trump’s SAVE America Act push creates fresh headaches for GOP leaders

President Trump is ramping up pressure on GOP leaders to attach the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act to must-pass legislation, a move that would complicate an already difficult …

02:11

Tillis urges GOP colleagues to hold budget bill over White House ballroom funding

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) is urging his Senate Republican colleagues to delay action on a budget reconciliation package to fund immigration enforcement operations through 2029, in part because he said …

13:08

GOP infighting over Trump ballroom; Cassidy falls to Trump's candidate: Join the live discussion

Republicans in the Senate are clashing over President Trump's wish for $1 billion in security funding for a White House ballroom. The battle comes as the Senate parliamentarian rules the …

10:00

Senate GOP looking for off-ramp from White House ballroom debacle

The Senate is gearing up for a battle over funding President Trump’s White House ballroom, which will take center stage when senators debate a budget reconciliation package this week to …

21:00

GOP lawmakers battle as conservatives press for third budget reconciliation bill

Conservatives are calling on the House to pass a third GOP-only bill through the special reconciliation process to boost Pentagon funding and address alleged fraud in federal programs by the …

13:31

Senate parliamentarian rules against Trump’s White House ballroom funding in budget bill

The Senate parliamentarian late Saturday ruled against the $1 billion provision intended to fund President Trump’s White House ballroom in the budget reconciliation package. The guidance, according to Sen. Jeff …

13:44

Senate parliamentarian rules against some immigration enforcement funding

The Senate parliamentarian on Thursday ruled that several elements of the Republicans’ budget reconciliation package to provide $70 billion in immigration enforcement funding failed to comply with the Byrd Rule …

10:00

House Republicans divided over ballroom security funding

House Republicans are split over the White House’s proposal to allocate $1 billion in security funding for a new White House ballroom and other Secret Service priorities. GOP lawmakers are …

10:00

House Republicans more optimistic about midterm chances after ‘seismic’ court rulings

House Republicans have an extra pep in their step after getting "seismic" court wins in redistricting battles in the last few weeks, turning courtesy positivity into some actual optimism about …

13:35

Watch live: House Republicans give remarks amid budget reconciliation battle

House Republican leaders will speak with reporters Wednesday morning as pressure mounts for them to pass legislation to fund immigration enforcement — which they aim to do through the budget …

10:00

Senate GOP balks at $1B in security for White House ballroom, despite Secret Service pitch

A proposal to provide $1 billion in federal funds to provide security for a new White House ballroom is in danger of being stripped from a budget reconciliation package after …

23:59

Paul: $1 billion for White House ballroom likely coming out of budget reconciliation bill

Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rand Paul (R-Ky.), whose committee will mark up a portion of the Senate budget reconciliation bill to fund immigration enforcement operations, says there’s a good …

Washington Examiner

7 articles

▼

23:43

Six Republicans join Democrats in sinking legislation to build women’s history museum

A handful of House Republicans sounded the death knell on legislation to establish a Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum on Thursday over concerns that the content of the museum would …

22:33

GOP weighs scrubbing White House security funding from immigration bill over ballroom controversy

Senate Republicans were weighing on Wednesday whether to remove all or part of $1 billion for White House security funding from their $70 billion party-line immigration enforcement bill over concerns …

22:17

198 Democrats oppose requiring parental consent for student gender changes in schools

198 House Democrats voted against a bill on Wednesday requiring federally funded elementary and middle schools to get parental consent before changing a student’s pronouns, preferred name, or sex-based accommodations. …

04:00

Trump vents at Thune over ballroom security funding setback

President Donald Trump used a Monday phone call with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) to complain about a ruling from the Senate parliamentarian that has jeopardized millions in security …

01:51

Senate parliamentarian deals setback to Trump’s ballroom security funding

The Senate parliamentarian has struck millions in White House security funding out of Republicans’ immigration enforcement bill, sowing further doubt about whether the money will be approved by Congress later …

15:36

Eighty House Republicans vote to cut $482 million from NATO and put it into US military bases

Eighty House Republicans voted on Friday for a measure to cut nearly 482 million from the military budget for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and put the money into American …

11:00

Secret Service failures expose glaring problem within agency

The near-assassination of President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, opened America’s eyes to major problems with the United States Secret Service. The nation — indeed, the world — watched in …

Washington Post

1 article

▼

19:48

Trump shows off White House ballroom construction as funding stalls in Congress

The president offered journalists the closest look yet at the construction project, where photographers captured images of the work in progress and Trump touted security measures.