Todd Blanche Crack Up: Trump Backs Down From Massive $1.8B Slush Fund…

The DEFIANT Weekly is BACK after a two-week hiatus! This week, BDD welcomes Nick Knudsen, host of “The Dangerous Ones” podcast, to break down a wild Tuesday primary night and massive corruption unraveling in Washington.

First, we unpack the total collapse of the Trump administration’s $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” slush fund. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche folded under intense questioning, completely backtracking on plans to compensate political allies. We look at why Republicans broke ranks and how Trump is trying to save face.

Next, we dive into the absurdity surrounding America’s upcoming 250th anniversary. From a mass exodus of artists boycotting the “Freedom Show” to Trump wanting his face on a fictional $250 bill and an octagon built on White House grounds, we ask: why does he make everything about himself, and what can normal Americans do instead to celebrate?

Then, we analyze the shocking takeaways from the California and Los Angeles primaries. Reality TV star Spencer Pratt has forced a runoff with incumbent Karen Bass for LA Mayor—have voters learned nothing about electing reality show clowns? Plus, we break down the billionaire-heavy race to succeed Gavin Newsom, where Fox News personality Steve Hilton, progressive Tom Steyer, and Xavier Becerra are locked in a dead heat. What are California neighbors thinking, and what happens if a billionaire takes the golden state? We distill these national lessons into a concrete Democratic blueprint to win the 2026 midterms.

Finally, we head to America’s heartland where Iowa Democrats just solidified a powerhouse ticket. With State Auditor Rob Sand favored to win the governorship and VoteVets-backed Paralympic gold medalist Josh Turek officially securing the Senate nomination to take on the GOP machine, could Iowa be the biggest surprise flip of 2026?

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