“Congress is increasingly defying Donald Trump’s agenda as Republicans race against a ticking clock to keep their trifecta heading into November,” Politico reports. 

“Trump’s made a spate of calls for sweeping changes that have fallen flat on the Hill in recent months. His push to eliminate the filibuster doesn’t have the votes, a fact Senate Majority Leader John Thune has repeated. Calls to replace the Senate parliamentarian landed on deaf ears. And it’s a big zilch on his push to eliminate the blue slip privilege on judicial nominations.”

NBC News: “Jacob Reses, the chief of staff to Vice President JD Vance, will leave the administration at the end of the summer.”

Sarah Fitzpatrick: “Behind the scenes, Justice Department and other Trump-administration officials have quietly assured allies that plans for some form of payout remain on track.”

“I spoke with eight people familiar with the so-called Anti-Weaponization Fund—including current and former Justice Department officials, current and former members of Congress, a defense attorney, and political operatives close to the administration. All said that Justice Department officials and people close to the White House have indicated that the payout idea has not actually been scrapped.”

“Rather, they say, officials are exploring whether elements of the fund can be reactivated while also examining alternative arrangements to make sure loyalists get compensated.”

Michael Scherer: “The Trump administration broke an agreement to fund the bipartisan semiquincentennial celebrations, saying they will not ‘light taxpayer money on fire.'”