Blanche Confirmation Fight, Socialism Surge, WNBA Owner Suspended Over Cunningham: AM Update 7/31

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0:34I'm Emily Jashinsky, host of After Party and the Megyn Kelly Wrap-Up Show on SiriusXM Channel 111. It's Friday, July 31st, 2026. This is your AM Update. He could fix this in a minute, but I don't know whether who he's listening to or whether he's motivated to do that. President Trump saying he may withdraw Todd Blanche's nomination for Attorney General and resubmit it after Senators John Cornyn and Tom Tillis leave office, as the two Republicans demand changes to the president's IRS settlement. Any American who has driven a heavy truck for our military will automatically be eligible for a commercial driver's license.

1:12The White House unveiling a new push to move veterans into good-paying trucking jobs while removing unqualified migrant drivers from American roads. New polling exposing socialism's growing grip on the Democrat Party as Michigan voters rally behind a progressive candidate. And a Seattle Storm co-owner fined and suspended after allegedly berating two teenage girls courtside over signs supporting WNBA star Sophie Cunningham's defense of protecting female sports. All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM Update.

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3:05Text MK to the number 989898 today. President Trump now threatening to sidestep two Republican holdouts blocking Todd Blanche's confirmation as attorney general, saying he may temporarily withdraw the nomination and try again after Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Tom Tillis of North Carolina leave office. The ultimatum arriving after the Senate Judiciary Committee postponed a planned Thursday vote on Blanche's nomination, with Chairman Chuck Grassley reportedly lacking enough Republican support to advance him. At the center of the dispute, the agreement resolving President Trump's$10 billion lawsuit against the IRS over the leaking of his tax returns, the DOJ announcing in May that the settlement would create a nearly$1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund offering compensation to people who claimed they were unfairly targeted by the federal government.

3:57The agreement also reportedly including protections against certain tax investigations involving the president, his family, and his businesses. A federal judge later freezing payments from the fund, Blanche then announcing in June that the administration would abandon it altogether. Senators Cornyn and Tillis demanding Blanche put that promise in writing, while also narrowing the tax protections to existing audits and making clear they cannot shield future filings from examination. Senator Cornyn saying the DOJ delivered revised language Wednesday night, but claiming the White House's higher-ups are resisting his counterproposal.

4:34The senator speaking to MSNOW yesterday morning. He could fix this in a minute, but I don't know whether who he's listening to or whether he's motivated to do that. So we'll see what happens. He was saying he thinks that this might be because you don't like him. You know, I voted with him 99.3 % of the time. That has nothing to do with it. I think this is about making sure that we maintain the integrity of our justice system and fairness for everybody involved. The president responding in a Truth Social post yesterday, quote, Todd Blanche is a star and everyone knows it. He has the potential to go down as one of the greatest attorney generals of all time.

5:19The president going on to write that Blanche will continue to serve in an acting capacity, adding, quote, I have no objection to temporarily withdrawing Todd's name if they do not do the right thing. Blanche meeting with Senators Cornyn and Tillis yesterday afternoon in an apparent attempt to break the impasse, though it remains unclear as of last night what the three discussed or whether the meeting produced any progress. The president's plan amounting to a political gamble because Senators Cornyn and Tellis leave the Senate only after the midterm elections, when Republicans could have a smaller majority or lose control of the chamber altogether.

5:56President Trump launching a new White House initiative yesterday, fast-tracking military veterans into careers as commercial truck drivers. The multi-agency effort dubbed Freedom Haulers, connecting former service members with good-paying jobs, while helping trucking companies recruit experienced and disciplined drivers. The Departments of Transportation, Labor, Veterans Affairs, and War all participating in the initiative. Under the program, veterans who operated heavy vehicles in the military can apply to skip the commercial driving skills test, the administration expanding the window to apply for that waiver from 12 months after leaving active duty to 24 months, the initiative arriving amid the administration's broader crackdown on commercial drivers who cannot pass federal English language requirements or received licenses without meeting federal eligibility rules.

6:46Nationwide audits reportedly uncovering licenses that remained valid after foreign drivers' work authorization expired, along with others issued to individuals unable to verify their immigration status. One high-profile case coming last August, when authorities say Indian national Harjinder Singh made an illegal U-turn through an official use-only median on Florida's turnpike, leaving his tractor-trailer stretched across the highway. A minivan slamming into the trailer, killing all three people inside. Singh, who authorities say entered the country illegally in 2018, reportedly receiving commercial licenses from Washington and California before the crash, later pleading not guilty to three counts of vehicular homicide.

7:28President Trump speaking at the White House alongside senior administration officials and trucking industry leaders. Last year alone, illegal aliens with commercial driver's licenses caused at least 30 deaths and many, many very seriously injured. As president, I made it our official policy to enforce English language requirements for truck drivers and support American truckers on American roadways. We've already removed more than 24 ,000 non-English speakers from behind the wheel. We've also forced states to cancel more than 28 ,000 commercial driver's licenses unlawfully issued to illegal aliens.

8:10As we get illegal aliens off the roads today, we're also taking action to replace these unqualified migrant truck drivers with highly qualified American veterans. Under our brand new Freedom Hall, as we call it, Freedom Hallers Initiative, any American who has driven a heavy truck for our military will automatically be eligible for a commercial driver's license. The administration rolling out this new ad aimed at veterans. Are you a veteran and not an illegal alien? You drove the toughest roads on Earth, defending our freedoms. Stick around. Why not get paid to drive on ours? You show me a pay stub for$72 ,000 and I quit my job right now.

8:52How about six figures? Become a freedom hauler. Your road, your rules. Make your own hours, your schedule. You sure about that? Oh, we're sure. Keep talking. Did I mention medical benefits and sign-on bonuses? Training costs are completely covered for veterans. Because our heroes treat safety like a mission and rack up more miles doing it. Best part? You'll be on the road in a few weeks. It's happening. Everybody stay calm. What are you waiting for? You can do it! Your next mission deploys now. Coming up, new polling revealing the Democrat Party's embrace of socialism as a progressive Senate candidate surges in Michigan and two teenage girls allegedly cursed out by a Seattle Storm co-owner at a WNBA game for supporting Sophie Cunningham.

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10:54That faction skewing younger and more working class than the rest of the Democratic coalition, while also appearing more enthusiastic about the upcoming midterms. Among Democrats who identify as Democratic Socialists, 59 % are under the age of 45. Of those who don't, 46 % are under 45. They are also more likely to be white, 57 % compared with 49 % among the rest of the Democrat coalition. Despite the movement's popularity on elite college campuses, CNN finding only 54 % of Democratic Socialists have a college degree, compared with 66 % of Democrats who do not identify as Democratic Socialists.

11:33The Socialist wing appearing especially energized heading into midterms, with 66 % of registered voters who identify as Democratic Socialists describing themselves as, quote, extremely motivated to vote this year. The findings coming as House candidates running under the Democratic Socialist banner build on Mom Donnie's victory, defeating several longtime Democratic incumbents in heavily Democratic congressional districts. The movement's leaders making clear that their vision extends well beyond raising taxes and expanding social programs. DSA National Co-Chair Megan Romer appearing earlier this week on Fox News Sunday.

12:09Okay, so we're going to put up on the screen a few of the things that are part of your platform. And I want to ask you, just give me sort of a true or false on these. Abolish the Senate. True. Okay. Replace the presidency and Supreme Court as we now know them. Yep. Abolish ICE. Absolutely. Abolish borders and give amnesty to anyone currently in the U.S. illegally. As a long term plan. Yep. Defund the Pentagon. Absolutely. Abolish prisons, at least in large part. Yeah. Again, as part of a long term program. Yeah. OK, so no prisons. Government or public ownership of most large corporations. Yeah, absolutely.

13:15Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, while El-Sayed is backed by leading progressives, including Senator Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman AOC. El-Sayed attempting to place some distance between himself and the socialist label during Monday night's Democratic debate. When it comes to the question of socialism, I'm not a socialist. I'm just a capitalist who understands how capitalism works. The biggest threat to capitalism was never the idea of government regulation. It was always monopoly. I want you to think about the stuff that you have to buy, whether it's your groceries and the number of stores you can go to, or it's buying a flight to see your grandmother, or it's picking a phone or a phone provider.

13:50You have like two or three options. And that shouldn't be legal, but that's the way our economy works right now. So I think government ought to be there to regulate on monopolies and oligopolies so that everybody can actually participate in an economy without having to be forced to pay more or get paid less for the work they do. Though El-Sayed may not embrace the terminology, AOC and Senator Sanders are openly campaigning for him as an ally in the progressive movement, the Vermont socialist appearing alongside al-Sayed earlier this month. I want you to ask yourself a simple question. Why are the richest people in the country spending tens and tens of millions of dollars to defeat Abdul al-Sayed?

14:32What are they afraid of? And the answer is obvious. they understand quite correctly that when Abdul is elected to the Senate, he will work with me and other progressives in taking on the greed of the billionaire class and fight for an economy and a government that works for all of us, not just the 1%. That is what the billionaires are afraid of. And hey, billionaires, you should be afraid. That alliance helping El-Sayed build a commanding advantage heading into Tuesday's primary. A new Emerson College poll showing El-Sayed leading Stevens by 15 points, 54 % to 39%. El-Sayed's primary strength reportedly creating anxiety among more moderate Democrats, who fear El-Sayed could prove far easier for Republicans to defeat in November.

15:33One recent Michigan Education survey showing Republican Mike Rogers beating El-Sayed by 10 points in a hypothetical general election matchup. The same poll finding Congresswoman Stevens narrowly ahead of Rogers, roughly 46 % to 45%. The RealClearPolitics polling average showing El-Sayed leading Stevens by just over 10 points, 50.5 % to 40.3%. Rogers, a former congressman, endorsed by President Trump, expected to secure the Republican nomination. Seattle Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton facing an undisclosed fine and a five-home game suspension from the WNBA after allegedly berating two 16-year-old girls supporting the Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham during Tuesday night's game in Seattle.

16:20The confrontation coming amid a growing controversy surrounding Cunningham, who recently spoke out against male athletes competing in women's and girls' sports. Cunningham telling ESPN earlier this month, I think that I am here to extend love, but I also think that love is truth, being honest, and I want to protect young girls in a locker room or young girls in sport who shouldn't have to go against biological men. Amid the backlash, the two teenage girls attending Tuesday's Fever Storm game wearing shirts from XXXY Athletics, a company founded by former Levi's executive Jennifer Say that promotes protecting female sports and spaces.

16:57The girls sitting courtside and holding signs reading, quote, we love you, Sophie, and thank you, Sophie, for speaking up for girls. At halftime, the girls say Keaton approaching their seats, invoking Jesus before allegedly calling them, quote, effing insane and cursing at them for bringing the signs. The two 16-year-olds describing the exchange to journalist Brandi Cruz. Well, we were just sitting there through signs that said, like, we love Sophie, like, thank you So we were speaking up, and so we were just holding our signs and cheering for both teams. And this lady, older lady, comes up to us, and she comes up to us.

17:30And at first I think she's going to be nice, and then she asks, like, what are you guys doing? Or something like that. Yeah. And then it was like, Jesus loves everyone. That's what she told us. And I was like, oh, I know. Like, I'm religious. Like, I know. I thought she was being nice. Yeah. And she's like, oh, I hope Jesus can forgive you for what sin you've done. And, like, something like that. And then she told us that we were effing insane. And she went like, yes. saying. She's like, you better stop this shit. And stop pulling this. Yeah. And I hope God can save you. Yeah. She said, for you to come here and pull this shit.

18:02And she said the word? Yeah. That instance, not the only confrontation of the night. You leave my daughter. Go. Go. Security. Take the shots out. Take the shots out. Video posted by Fox News showing two other Seattle fans confronting the girls near their seats, including an adult man calling for arena security and declaring, quote, take the trash out in front of the teenagers. Cunningham responding on X Wednesday night, writing, quote, I truly believe there is a safe space and love for everybody. Biological girls, biological boys, trans women, and trans men, everyone is welcome at my table. You can disagree and still be kind.

18:43Cunningham adding, quote, Bravo to those girls for standing up for what they believe. You'll be hearing from me soon. Yay for gifts. Truly embarrassing of the co-owner, unfortunately shows the type of leader she is. Storm majority owner Ginny Gilder issuing an apology Wednesday, acknowledging that one of the team's co-owners made comments to the girls and saying, quote, everyone who attends a Storm game deserves to feel welcome. That'll do it for your AM update. I'm Emily Drushinsky, host of After Party. Go and check out more at afterpartyemily.com. Catch The Megyn Kelly Show later today, live on SiriusXM's The Megyn Kelly Channel, 111 at noon east, on YouTube.com slash Megyn Kelly and all podcast platforms.

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