Law makers push back against Trump admin projects

Added: 2026-05-24

[00:00:03]The president is pushing back on facing pushback on Capitol Hill over security costs related to the new White House ballroom and a new controversial DOJ fund that critics say could be used to compensate his political allies. Natalie Brandt has more tonight from the White House.

[00:00:18]A clash on Capitol Hill over security funding related to President Trump's new ballroom and a controversial new DOJ fund has put Senate Republicans immigration enforcement bill on hold.

[00:00:29]They hoped to move forward as early as tonight, but instead left town. I want to support the underlying bill, but these gimmicks that are coming in at the 11th hour remind me of the gimmicks that came in at the 11th hour of the one big beautiful bill, which is why I voted against it. And that's why I vote against this one.

[00:00:44]>> This afternoon, the president defended the new White House construction costs.

[00:00:48]A tremendous amount of what's being done with respect to the ballroom is for national security, including as an example a drone port on top of which was top secret until litigation made it less than secret.

[00:01:02]>> Senate Republicans are also questioning the DOJ's new fund of nearly $1.8 billion set up to compensate those who claim they were unfairly prosecuted by the Justice Department under previous administrations. They met today with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to raise their concerns. I just wanted to be explained it to us.

[00:01:21]Uh we we we we don't have any details.

[00:01:23]The meeting with Blanche comes one day after two officers who defended the US Capitol on January 6th filed a lawsuit to try and block the fund. They're worried that convicted rioters could be among those who receive compensation.

[00:01:37]It's just that they committed crimes and they recorded themselves doing these crimes. So then they face the consequences right up until Trump pardoned them. The DOJ says the fund isn't just about January 6th, but for any American who believes they were mistreated by the legal system. Natalie Brandt, CBS News, the White House.