Today in Politics, Bulletin 391. 6/1/26

… Trump is reportedly planning to back off his $1.8 billion slush fund to pay off criminals after meeting with Speaker Mike Johnson this morning. His plan has been toxic with voters, drawn multiple lawsuits and legislative bills and amendments, and seen multiple Republicans in key swing areas running away from it.

… Axios: “The Trump admin plans to drop its controversial $1.8 billion ‘weaponization’ fund the president sought to compensate alleged victims of prosecutorial conduct under his predecessor, two senior admin officials told Axios. ‘It’s dead for now,’ one of the sources said.”

… For now.

… Second source: “This has become a distraction. The president believes government was weaponized against people - it wasn’t just him. But this isn’t the time and vehicle for it.”

… Punchbowl: “Speaker Mike Johnson and President Trump are meeting at the WH this morning on the weaponization fund. This fund has completely screwed up passing reconciliation - ICE/CBP funding. As of now, Senate GOP leaders are struggling to see a clear path to 50 votes to kick off the floor process for the $70-plus billion reconciliation bill.”

… “And Democrats want to make life even harder for GOP leaders. They will be able to use the vote-a-rama to offer amendments centered on the fund, some at a simple-majority threshold, even if the fund isn’t in the bill. Aides in both parties believe many of these will be considered at a simple-majority threshold regardless of whether the fund is actually mentioned in the underlying reconciliation bill. That decision is up to the parliamentarian.”

… NOTUS: “Trump plans to drop the weaponization fund, per a source. The conversation between Mike Johnson and Trump earlier today helped convince the president to drop the weaponization fund. The fund received significant backlash from Hill Republicans and a number of House Republicans were looking for ways to stop this fund from happening.”

… NBC: “Chuck Schumer said Monday that Democrats would try to kill Trump’s $1.8 billion ‘anti-weaponization’ fund, forcing Republicans to vote to preserve the compensation money. Schumer pointed to Republicans’ plans to use budget reconciliation again to advance their spending priorities, a move that would allow Democrats to bring up unlimited amendments as the Senate considers the bill.”

… Schumer: “If Republicans return to reconciliation, we will be ready with amendments to shut the fund down. If they try to bury the issue, we will force them to the Senate floor. If they try to sneak behind appropriations, we will fight them there too.”

… “In addition, 3 Democratic senators introduced a bill to kill the fund Monday. Adam Schiff, Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin introduced the ‘Drain the Slush Fund Act,’ which they said would ‘prevent taxpayer dollars’ from being paid to Trump and his allies, including former Jan. 6 defendants. The bill, would also ban settlements or payments stemming from suits brought by the president or VP. It would be retroactive to Jan. 20, 2025.”

… Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL) on Fox: “I’m not sure that a billion dollar plus slush fund is the answer. I think that money could be better spent on bringing down the cost of everything and making life more affordable. As the wife of a first responder, I would never support any payouts for someone who assaulted law enforcement.

… WGAN (Maine): “In a move that could shake up the upcoming Democratic primary, Gov. Janet Mills is reminding Mainers that she is still technically in the running for the US Senate. Despite suspending her active campaign on April 30 due to fundraising struggles and trailing in the polls, Mills said that her name will remain on the primary ballot.”

… Mills: “People have the impression that I ‘withdrew’ or ‘dropped out,’ but I simply suspended active campaigning. I am still on the ballot.”

… “Because the Governor never filed the formal paperwork required by the Maine Secretary of State to nullify votes cast for her, any votes she receives will still be counted. Notably, Mills has withheld endorsing the presumptive Democratic nominee, Graham Platner, since pausing her campaign.”

… “Signaling a return to the public eye, Mills’ campaign account on X posted its first message since April to mark the beginning of Pride Month.”

… The “imminent peace deal” we have been hearing about for 3 months has now completely fallen apart. Iran announced they are breaking off all peace talks due to repeatedly violations of the cease fire by the US and Israel.

… Trump was asked about it by NBC’s Garrett Haake: “I think we’ve been talking too much if you want to know the truth. I think going silent would be very good, and that could be that could be for a long time. It doesn’t mean we’re going to go and start dropping bombs all over there. We’ll just go silent. We’ll keep the blockade. Blockade is a piece of steel. I think I can wait as long as they want. They’re losing a fortune.”

… Iran state media Tasnim: “In light of the ongoing crimes of the Zionist regime in Lebanon and given that Lebanon was part of the ceasefire preconditions, and now this ceasefire has been violated on all fronts, including Lebanon, the Iranian negotiating team is suspending discussions and exchanges of texts through intermediaries.”

… “The immediate halt to the aggressive and brutal operations of the Zionist regime’s army in Gaza and Lebanon, and the necessity of the regime’s complete withdrawal from the occupied areas in Lebanon, have been emphasized by Iranian officials and negotiators, and as long as Iran’s and the resistance’s stance on this matter is not satisfied, there will be no dialogue.”

… “Additionally, the Resistance Front and Iran have resolved to pursue the complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and the activation of other fronts, including the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, as part of their agenda to punish the Zionists and their supporters.”

… CNBC: “The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is a trade chokepoint that connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Oil prices leapt more than 7% higher following Tasnim’s report, which signaled a breakdown in efforts to reach a diplomatic end to the war that is now in its fourth month. Trump just 3 days earlier said he would decide at a meeting in the Situation Room whether to agree to a deal with Iran that would at least pause the conflict. But that meeting ended without Trump making a final decision.”

… “In the following days, the US and Iran launched new attacks against each other, further eroding the tattered ceasefire that has already been repeatedly ruptured by kinetic military operations. At the same time, Israel has ramped up its military offensive in Lebanon. Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday ordered attacks on Hezbollah-controlled suburbs in Beirut.”

… NYT: “Beirut, Lebanon’s capital, was bracing for an Israeli bombardment on Monday after Israel announced it would strike the city’s southern suburbs. The warning stoked fears that the shaky cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah was on the brink of collapse. Netanyahu of Israel said in a statement that he had ordered the Israeli military to attack the southern outskirts of Beirut, known as Dahiya, as part of the widening Israeli campaign against Hezbollah, the powerful Iran-backed militia.”

… “The announcement by Netanyahu prompted thousands of residents to flee their homes, clogging the roads out of the area late Monday morning. For many residents, the sudden exodus has become a miserable routine over nearly 3 years of conflicts between Hezbollah and Israel. ‘I lost count of how many times I’ve evacuated,’ said Zahra Khomasi, as she sat in her car in Tayouneh on the outskirts of Dahiya.”

… Iran Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi: “A ceasefire between Iran and the US constitutes, without any ambiguity, a comprehensive ceasefire across all fronts, including Lebanon. Any violation of this ceasefire on one front shall be considered a violation of it across all fronts. The US and Israel bear responsibility for the consequences of any breach of the truce.”

… Iranian Parliament Speaker MB Ghalibaf: “The naval blockade and escalation of war crimes in Lebanon by the genocidal Zionist regime are clear evidence of U.S. noncompliance with the ceasefire. Every choice has a price, and the bill comes due. It will all fall into place.”

… Iranian Major General Rezaei: “The Strait of Hormuz is under Iran’s management. We will not allow the continuation of the maritime blockade, and the escalation of tensions in Lebanon will not be tolerated either. The patience of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran has its limits.”

… IRGC: “Whoever sows the wind shall reap the whirlwind. Iran considers crossing red lines in Lebanon and Gaza as tantamount to direct war and imposing costs on its national security and the Islamic resistance, and it resolves to carry out defensive operations, open new fronts, in addition to preserving the Strait of Hormuz equation.”

… Middle East expert Marc Polymeropolous: “Diplomacy dying, and a return to war in Lebanon. Fighting in Beaufort and the Dahiyeh are two infamous names, all you need to hear as a Middle East hand, that peace is certainly not at hand. Question I’m mulling-How did Israel seemingly squander what was an extraordinary and historic defeat of Hezbollah in 2024?

… “Also-Bibi promised all these conflicts would bring back security…..and yet? Perpetual war is seemingly the only policy option. Guess the sad old adage rings true that wars in the region never truly end, parties just rearm for the next round… sigh.”

… After all that, Trump then made a panicked post on Truth Social as the oil markets started spiking again: “I had a very productive call with Bibi Netanyahu, and there will be no Troops going to Beirut, and any Troops that are on their way, have already been turned back. Likewise, through highly placed Representatives, I had a very good call with Hezbollah, and they agreed that all shooting will stop - That Israel will not attack them, and they will not attack Israel.”

… A few minutes later he posted another: “Talks are continuing, at a rapid pace, with the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

… But Netanyahu didn’t seem to agree with Trump’s version of what was said in their call: “I spoke with President Trump and told him that if Hezbollah does not cease attacking our cities and citizens—Israel will attack terror targets in Beirut. This stance of ours remains unchanged. In parallel, the IDF will continue to operate as planned in southern Lebanon.”

… Things are going well. Art of the Deal.

Excellent questions from you for Ask the Editor this week. It was really hard to choose just 5. I decided to take 6 and we went a little longer than normal. The show will be out later tonight. We led off with a question about my assessment of Jon Ossoff as a 2028 presidential candidate.

If you missed yesterday’s Bulletin recapping the weekend, you can find it here.

… Then CNBC got Trump on the phone: Q - “Do you think the negotiations are over now? Trump: “I don’t care if they’re over, honestly. I really don’t care. I couldn’t care less. If they’re over, they’re over. If they’re not, you know, I think they took too much time. Frankly, I thought they started to get very boring. They were giving us what we needed, but I think I think they handled the negotiations poorly. It took too long. I thought they were tapping us along that’s all. Yeah, they were.”

Q - “Has anybody in NATO changed their tune on helping you open the strait? Trump: They would, if I wanted them to, but they would. I want them to. We don’t need them. We don’t need NATO. They were very, very weak and very sad. What they said, they said we’ll help you as soon as the war is over. NATO, Europe has lost its way. They have a tremendous immigration problem, and they have a tremendous energy problem, because all they want to do is build windmills all over the place, so anyway.”

… I think need to have his next dementia exam videotaped. I’m not buying those results.

… Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman: “I would encourage the media to be more cautious in taking American statements seriously. You have seen how frequently they change their positions and make inaccurate statements. These contradictions may