Senate Just STUNNED Chuck Schumer with a Major 51-45 Vote — President Donald Trump Gets His Fed Pick
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Senate confirmed Kevin Warsh to the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors on Tuesday by a vote of 51-45, advancing President Donald Trump’s effort to install Warsh as head of the central bank. The confirmation represents a key step following months of uncertainty surrounding the position, including a criminal probe involving outgoing chair Jerome Powell. Warsh was approved for a 14-year term as one of the Fed’s seven governors.
A separate vote to confirm Warsh as chair of the Board of Governors, succeeding Powell, is scheduled for later this week. Powell’s four-year term as chair expires on Friday. Warsh is filling the board position previously held by Stephen Miran, a Trump aide who was confirmed last September and served until his replacement was approved. Miran’s term officially expired in January, but he remained on the board during the transition.
Warsh previously served as a Fed governor from 2006 to 2011, a period that included the global financial crisis. He graduated from Stanford University and Harvard Law School and has worked as a Hoover Institution fellow and an adviser to billionaire investor Stanley Druckenmiller since leaving the Fed. Warsh is married to Jane Lauder, the billionaire granddaughter of cosmetics mogul Estée Lauder, and has a personal fortune exceeding $100 million.
During his earlier tenure at the Fed, Warsh was known as a critic of the central bank’s large balance sheet, its regulation of banks, and its communication practices with the public. In recent statements, he has indicated openness to interest rate cuts while maintaining a cautious approach to monetary policy. In confirmation hearings, Warsh pledged to safeguard the Fed’s independence in setting interest rates. He stated that President Trump had never asked him to predetermine any rate decision and that he would not do so if confirmed as chair.
The Federal Open Market Committee, the Fed’s rate-setting body, has kept interest rates unchanged at its three meetings this year. Miran dissented from every decision since joining the board last fall, advocating for larger rate reductions. The Fed faces the challenge of balancing economic growth with inflation risks. Lowering rates can stimulate the economy but may also contribute to inflationary pressures.
Warsh will serve alongside two governors nominated during Trump’s first term and three nominated by former President Joe Biden. Trump’s attempts to remove one of the Biden appointees have been blocked in court. Powell has not specified how long he will remain on the board after his chair term ends. His full term as governor expires in January 2028. He has indicated he will maintain a low profile in the coming period.
The confirmation process for Warsh as chair is expected to proceed quickly in the Senate. The vote reflects Republican support for aligning the Fed more closely with the administration’s economic priorities. Democrats opposed the nomination, citing concerns about independence and potential politicization of monetary policy. The outcome underscores the partisan nature of recent Fed appointments and the influence of the Senate in shaping the central bank’s direction.
The Federal Reserve plays a central role in U.S. economic policy, setting interest rates and overseeing financial stability. Its decisions affect borrowing costs, inflation, employment, and overall economic growth. The confirmation of Warsh marks another step in the administration’s efforts to reshape federal institutions. As the 2026 midterm elections approach, the composition of the Fed board and its policy direction will remain a point of focus for both parties and financial markets.
Acting AG Blanche Fires Back at Obama’s DOJ Criticism
Acting AG Blanche Fires Back at Obama’s DOJ Criticism
Posted July 21, 2026
Former President Barack Obama sharply criticized the Trump administration this week over what he described as growing political influence inside the United States Department of Justice, prompting an aggressive response from Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche defending both the administration’s prosecutions and President Donald Trump’s authority over the executive branch.
The escalating public dispute comes as the Justice Department faces mounting scrutiny over a series of criminal investigations and indictments involving several longtime Trump critics and political adversaries, including former FBI Director James Comey.
Obama raised the issue during an interview with Stephen Colbert on CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert that aired Monday night.
“The White House shouldn’t be able to direct the attorney general to go around prosecuting whoever,” Obama said during the interview. “The idea is that the attorney general is the people’s lawyer. It’s not the president’s consigliere.”
Obama suggested the principle of DOJ independence may ultimately need to be codified into law by Congress, arguing that the justice system risks becoming politicized if presidents are perceived as directly targeting political opponents through federal prosecutions.
The comments immediately triggered pushback from the Trump administration.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson accused Obama of hypocrisy, arguing that his administration played a central role in the origins of the Trump-Russia investigation.
“Barack Hussein Obama is the king of weaponization,” Jackson said in a statement, referencing declassified documents related to the FBI’s Russia probe.
But the administration’s most extensive response came Wednesday from Blanche during an interview with CBS News in Phoenix.
Blanche forcefully rejected accusations that the DOJ is engaged in political retaliation and defended the president’s constitutional authority over the executive branch.
“Article Two says, ‘the executive power shall be vested in the President of the United States of America,’” Blanche said while holding a pocket copy of the Constitution during the interview. “It does not say that the Attorney General stands off to the side.”
Blanche emphasized that the attorney general serves within the executive branch and argued that presidents are fully entitled to direct priorities involving law enforcement, immigration, drugs, and national security.
“To the extent that President Trump calls me and says that he thinks we have a problem in this country, whether it’s the scourge of drugs, illegal immigration, every American wants him to do that,” Blanche said. “And he should.”
The acting attorney general also dismissed accusations that the DOJ is pursuing politically motivated cases against Trump critics.
“We are absolutely doing nothing but what we should be doing at the Department of Justice,” Blanche said. “I wake up with a very clean conscience every morning.”
The public clash comes amid multiple high-profile investigations involving Trump adversaries.
Most notably, Comey was recently indicted after prosecutors alleged a 2025 Instagram post featuring seashells arranged to form the numbers “86 47” constituted a threat against Trump, the 47th president. Prosecutors argue “86” is commonly understood slang meaning “to eliminate” or “get rid of.”
Blanche defended the case, arguing threats against the president must be treated seriously given recent assassination attempts and escalating political extremism.
Last year, Trump publicly urged then-Attorney General Pam Bondi to pursue prosecutions against Comey, James, and Sen. Adam Schiff, writing on social media that “JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED.”
Blanche declined to discuss private conversations with Trump when asked whether the president personally directed prosecutions.
“But rest assured,” Blanche said, “he has much better, bigger and important things to do than to worry about me doing my job.”
Blanche also turned Democrats’ criticism back against them by pointing to the multiple criminal prosecutions Trump himself faced before returning to office, including cases brought by state prosecutors in New York and Georgia as well as federal investigations overseen by Special Counsel Jack Smith.
“So I welcome criticism. Let’s go,” Blanche said. “But if you’re sitting in a glass house, you ought not throw stones.”
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Posting as GuestTHE CAR DEALER MOCKED THE GREASE-COVERED BOY
PART ONE — THE BOY ON THE HOOD
“Kid, do you honestly think you know anything about cars?”
The question echoed through the most expensive showroom in Dallas.
Mason Caldwell leaned toward the grease-covered eleven-year-old sitting on the hood of a black supercar and laughed loudly enough for the customers to hear.
Eli Carter did not look like someone who belonged beneath the crystal lights of Caldwell Sterling Motors.
His blue mechanic’s coveralls were stained with oil. His sneakers were worn at the toes, and a dark streak of grease ran across one side of his face. His hands were small, but the calluses along his fingers came from real tools, not toys.
Mason looked entirely at home.
He wore a custom gray suit, polished Italian shoes, and a watch worth more than most of the vehicles parked outside. As director of the company’s flagship showroom, he had spent years perfecting the expression of a man who could decide whether another person deserved to remain in the room.
The car beneath Eli was called the Aegis X1.
Only one existed.
Its carbon-fiber body reflected the showroom lights like black glass. The electric performance system had been developed in secret, and the vehicle was expected to sell for more than two million dollars after its official unveiling.
Employees had been warned not to touch it without authorization.
Mason pointed toward the floor.
“Get off the car before your father spends the rest of his life paying for the fingerprints.”
Eli remained still.
“My father is dead.”
For half a second, several employees stopped smiling.
Mason’s expression barely changed.
“Then find whichever mechanic brought you inside.”
A few salespeople laughed nervously.
They did not find the joke funny.
They laughed because Mason noticed people who did not.
Eli looked around the showroom.
Customers stood near luxury sedans and limited-edition sports cars. Several had already raised their phones to record the confrontation.
Mason enjoyed the attention.
He stepped closer.
“You know what happens to people who touch things they cannot afford?”
Eli slowly removed one dirty glove.
He placed it on the Aegis’s hood.
“I know enough to understand that you’re about to have a very bad day.”
The laughter ended.
Mason’s face tightened.
“You have five seconds to get down.”
Eli reached into the pocket of his coveralls and removed a sleek black key fob.
It carried no manufacturer’s logo.
Only a small silver symbol shaped like a shield.
Mason recognized it immediately.
“That key doesn’t belong to you.”
Eli pressed the upper button.
The Aegis’s headlights came alive.
A second later, the vehicle’s electric system produced a deep synthetic growl that rolled through the showroom floor.
Mason stumbled backward.
A woman near the reception desk gasped.
The car had not yet been publicly activated.
Only four people were supposed to possess functioning authorization keys.
Mason grabbed Eli’s wrist.
“Where did you steal that?”
“Take your hand off him.”
The voice came from the showroom entrance.
An older man stood between the glass doors with two attorneys, the company’s chief engineer, and a pair of federal investigators behind him.
Henry Carter was seventy-one.
His silver hair was neatly combed, and he wore a dark blue suit without a tie. Age had bent his shoulders slightly, but nothing had weakened the authority in his voice.
Forty-two years earlier, Henry had built the first Carter performance engine inside a rented machine shop.
The company now employed more than six thousand people.
Mason released Eli immediately.
“Mr. Carter.”
Henry looked at the red handprint forming around his grandson’s wrist.
Then he looked at Mason.
“My grandson spent the morning helping our engineers inspect this prototype.”
Mason’s face lost color.
“Your grandson?”
Eli climbed down from the hood.
“My father designed the Aegis drive-control system before he died.”
Henry rested one hand on Eli’s shoulder.
“Lucas Carter also left his controlling shares to his son.”
Mason stared at the boy.
The child he had just humiliated owned a larger percentage of Carter Automotive than any current executive.
But Eli was not smiling because of the inheritance.
He opened the driver’s door and reached beneath the dashboard.
When he pulled his hand back, he was holding a recording device no larger than a pack of gum.
“I found this connected to the diagnostic port.”
Dr. Priya Shah, Carter Automotive’s chief engineer, stepped forward and examined it.
Her expression changed immediately.
“This is not a tracking unit.”
“What is it?” Henry asked.
“A data siphon. It has been copying prototype software every time the system powers on.”
Henry turned toward Mason.
“You told the board our design files were stolen through a foreign cyberattack.”
Mason’s mouth opened.
“I can explain.”
Eli pressed another button on the key fob.
The Aegis’s speakers activated.
Mason’s voice filled the showroom.
“Sell the software before the launch. Once Carter’s stock falls, Northstar purchases the company for nothing.”
Phones turned toward Mason.
A sales manager stepped away from him.
One of the federal investigators moved closer.
Mason lunged toward Eli.
The second investigator blocked him.
Henry did not raise his voice.
“You asked whether the boy knew anything about cars.”
He looked at the recording device.
“My grandson knew enough to discover what every adult in this showroom was too frightened to report.”
Mason’s confidence disappeared.
Then Eli climbed into the driver’s seat and opened the prototype’s diagnostic records.
A hidden file appeared on the central display.
It showed that Mason had not merely copied the vehicle’s software.
Someone had entered the Aegis control system the previous night and disabled the emergency braking response before a scheduled high-speed test.
The driver assigned to perform that test was listed at the bottom of the screen.
HENRY CARTER.
Henry stared at his name.
Eli looked up at his grandfather.
“He wasn’t only trying to steal the company.”
Then he turned toward Mason.
“He was trying to inherit it.”
One investigator reached for Mason’s arm.
Before he could place him in handcuffs, a woman’s voice cut across the showroom.
“No one is arresting anybody.”
Every employee became still.
Margaret Carter descended the curved staircase overlooking the showroom.
She was sixty-eight, elegant, and dressed in a cream-colored suit. A silver Carter emblem rested at her collar.
To the public, Margaret was the graceful wife who had stood beside Henry from the company’s earliest years.
Inside the corporation, she was vice chair of the board.
To Eli, she was Grandma Margaret.
She had attended every Christmas dinner, mailed birthday cards, and cried at Lucas’s funeral.
Now she held a second Aegis key fob in her hand.
Henry stared at her.
“Margaret, step away from the security controls.”
She looked at Eli instead.
“I warned Mason that the boy was too much like his father.”
Eli’s breathing stopped.
Margaret pressed the lower button.
Metal security shutters dropped across the showroom’s glass doors.
Every exit locked.
The crystal lights dimmed.
The Aegis display went black.
Customers began shouting.
Margaret’s eyes remained on her grandson.
“Lucas never knew when to stop asking questions either.”
