Good afternoon. This is the Final NOTUS newsletter for May 19, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!

THE LATEST

Donald Trump is at odds with Senate Republicans over ballroom funding, the new $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund and today’s endorsement of Ken Paxton over incumbent John Cornyn in the Texas Senate race.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche refused to say whether any of the “anti-weaponization” money would go to people who had assaulted police officers during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot at a Senate hearing this morning.

• JD Vance said at a White House press briefing that anybody can apply for money from Trump’s fund — including Hunter Biden and the former Colorado county clerk Tina Peters.
• House Democrats tried to raise a bill that would have blocked payouts from going to Jan. 6 participants during a Rules Committee meeting, but the effort failed on a party-line vote, Politico reports.
• The DOJ also expanded its settlement agreement today with broad language stating that the IRS is “forever barred” from “examinations” of Trump, his family members and businesses.

THE ADMINISTRATION

Trump said today that he was “an hour” from launching a renewed offensive against Iran yesterday, but he changed his mind.

• When asked about rising gas prices, the president called recent increases “peanuts” and said, “I appreciate everybody putting up with it for a little while.”

The White House is making a last-ditch push to insert rail-safety language into a newly released surface transportation bill — but the effort is colliding with the rail industry. The House Transportation Committee is expected to mark up the bill Thursday.

THE HILL

A major labor union is taking issue with House Democrats’ support of a housing bill that it says promotes construction programs with insufficient wage protections.

The Senate could begin voting on reconciliation as soon as tomorrow, Majority Leader John Thune told conference members, though Byrd bath revisions and ballroom funding consternation are still obstacles.

THE STATES

The NAACP is urging Black student athletes to withhold from committing to colleges in states facing severe redistricting measures, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi.

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Thank you for reading! Today’s newsletter was produced by Kelly Poe, Tim Grieve, Brett Bachman and Andrew Burton. If you liked it, please forward it to a friend. If someone shared it with you, please subscribe — it’s free! Got a tip or comments to share? Email us at finalnotus@notus.com.