Overview
- Fox News Sunday aired an August 16 interview in which anchor Shannon Bream pressed Attorney General Todd Blanche about the White House ballroom and a proposed $1.8 billion ‘‘anti‑weaponization’’ compensation fund.
- Blanche told Bream the fund is ‘‘dead’’ and said the administration does not believe it must seek new congressional authorization to proceed with the ballroom work.
- A federal appeals court has upheld an injunction halting above‑ground construction of the roughly $400 million ballroom and the administration is asking the Supreme Court to intervene while lower courts have allowed some below‑ground work for national‑security reasons.
- President Trump posted multiple lengthy rants on Truth Social after the broadcast, attacking Bream and Fox News for showing older construction photos, calling her ‘‘Milktoast,’’ and accusing the network of airing ‘‘fake polls.’'
- The exchange highlights scrutiny over Justice Department independence after Blanche’s recent confirmation and risks a sharper rift with Fox that could change how conservative media covers the administration and ongoing legal fights.