Election highlights: Midterm matchups take shape in primaries across five states as Abdul El-Sayed wins in Michigan

Abdul El-Sayed wins the Democratic Senate primary in Michigan, NBC News projects.

See the latest results here.

The Democratic Senate primary isn't the only close race still uncalled in Michigan.

Rep. Shri Thanedar trails progressive challenger Donavan McKinney, a state representative, by 3 points with about 70% of the expected vote counted in Michigan's 13th District based in Detroit.

El-Sayed told his supporters tonight that he wished he "was declaring victory right about now."

"Turns out it takes a long time to count some votes in Michigan," he added.

After commetning on how much money his opponents spent against him in the primary, El-Sayed attempted to strike a more unifying tone.

"However much we might disagree with our Democratic opponent, there is so much more that unites us than divides us," he said. "To all of our supporters here tonight, watching on TV, tomorrow we begin to mend fences. Whatever happens tonight, we have a responsibility to assure that we unite to make sure that Mike Rogers never sees the inside of the U.S. Senate."

Towards the end of his remarks, El-Sayed said "we should know who the victor will be tomorrow, and the work starts anew."

Addressing her supporters tonight, Stevens said they "might not know the results until early in the morning, maybe even later tomorrow."

"We knew that this was going to be a close race, and that's exactly what we've got — a close race," Stevens said.

She went on to say that she was "feeling good about this race" before criticizing Rogers, the GOP nominee.

"We've had a long, hard-fought primary, and we'll know soon who our nominee is going to be, and whoever wins is going to go and take on Mike Rogers," Stevens said. "Republicans are going to do everything they can to throw all the dirt, all the mud, the kitchen sink at us, because they want to keep the U.S. Senate red, so Mike Rogers can keep rubber stamping Donald Trump's ridiculous agenda."

With 75% of the expected vote tallied, El-Sayed leads Stevens by roughly 3 percentage points.

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez.  Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images

Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Republican state Sen. John Braun have advanced from the all-party primary in Washington's 3rd District, NBC News projects.

The district, which Trump carried by 3 points in 2024, will be key to the fight for the House majority this fall.

See the latest results here.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said in an interview tonight that he will encourage progressive voters to back Democrats on the ticket in November even if moderates are victorious in the primaries.

Asked whether he would support progressive voters who pledge to sit out the midterms if their candidates lose, Sanders said, "I would strongly disagree with that assertion."

"We have the most dangerous and unstable president in the history of this country, and I would hope not only that moderate Democrats, progressives, but a significant number of Republicans understand that this is not Ronald Reagan, this is not George Bush, this is an egomaniac," Sanders said, referring to Trump. "I will do everything that I can to make sure that Democrats win the House and the Senate, and simultaneously, I’m doing everything I can to see the progressives win primary elections around the country."

Asked whether he would support Haley Stevens if she defeats Abdul El-Sayed, whom Sanders has endorsed, he said he would "certainly support her."

Sanders also endorsed former Rep. Cori Bush, who lost today to Rep. Wesley Bell in Missouri.

Polls are closing at 11 p.m. ET in Washington state, where several interesting House races are on tap.

Republicans are seeking a challenger as Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez fights to keep her seat, while a progressive opponent is also on the all-party primary ballot. Every candidate runs on the same ballot, with the top two candidates advancing regardless of party.

See the latest results here.

Millions of people are casting votes tonight. Most of them don't have a deep understanding of every single policy issue. Instead, I think they are grasping onto big-picture issues that are dominating American politics, and I don’t think there’s a bigger issue right now than this idea of us versus them.

For each individual voter, what us versus them means is something completely different. For some, it’s an economic argument. For some, it’s a cultural argument. For some, it’s a societal argument. And one thing that is very clear is that if you’ve been in office for a long time and if you’re older, you sit on the on the side of "them" versus the side of "us," so it doesn’t always boil down into these very specific policy fights.

I think sometimes the consultants and the people in Washington get too caught up in the the kind of the intricacies of the legislative process, and they lose sight of that connection that you have to make on an emotional level with voters.

And if one thing’s playing out here tonight, it’s not necessarily a trend of all the progressives winning or all the mainstream people winning. It’s this idea that folks are finding a way to connect with their voters on a human level and kind of really home in on this idea: I’m going to try to make your life better. And that seems to be what’s dominating the conversation tonight.

A primary election night watch party with Rep. Haley Stevens in Detroit today. Emily Elconin / Bloomberg via Getty Images

Here at Haley Stevens' headquarters, we're starting to hear some finger-pointing about her campaign.

I just talked to a Michigan Democrat who's a little bit concerned about what they're seeing so far, and we're starting to hear the blame game. Some supporters are starting to question whether Stevens really did what she needed to do with the Black vote — and that's really who she's been targeting in this race.

This race is really going to define not only the future of the Democratic Party, but also the directions and the lessons that Democratic leadership take with them. The race hasn't even been called yet, but that's the mood in here, right behind the scenes — people are worried.

Cindy Holscher wins Democratic primary for Kansas governor, NBC News projects

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State Sen. Cindy Holscher has won the Democratic primary in Kansas’ race for governor, NBC News projects, riding a progressive, antiestablishment message to what promises to be a tough general election in the solidly Republican state.

Holscher emerged from a primary field that included fellow state Sen. Ethan Corson, who was endorsed by term-limited Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, and Curt Skoog, the mayor of Overland Park. She will face Republican state Senate President Ty Masterson, who was endorsed by Trump, in November.

See the latest results here.

Trump-endorsed Rep. John James wins the Republican primary for Michigan governor, NBC News projects. He'll face Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson in the general election.

Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is term-limited.

See the latest results here.

Jen Kiggans previews strategy for rematch in Virginia House race against Elaine Luria

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Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans will face Democrat Elaine Luria in the fall — a rematch of 2022, when Kiggans defeated Luria, then the incumbent.

Right now, Republicans' best tactic in a lot of these races is to scare the bejesus out of people about Democrats.

When we spoke to Rep. Jen Kiggans, who's projected to win the Republican primary in Virginia's 2nd Congressional District, she was talking about Democratic candidates' being scary, anti-American and anti-capitalist.

I mean, this tone of attack is not like "They’re going to vote against our priorities." This is saying, "These people aren’t of this country."

Rep. Wesley Bell’s campaign manager, Jordan Blase Sanders, told NBC News moments after Bell's projected victory over Cori Bush that she was confident in the win but somewhat surprised by its magnitude.

“I think everybody is really looking at these races as like the DSA candidate versus the ‘establishment’ candidate. I think it really shows that people in the 1st District know that Congressman Bell is really that true fighter against Donald Trump. He’s the person that came in and delivered results,” she said. “The voters know what they’re looking at. He’s the real deal.”

DSA is short for the Democratic Socialists of America.

Blase Sanders added that the result shows it’s not easy to fit candidates or voters into simple boxes.

“I also think it just goes to like what a strong candidate he is,” she said.

I am in the campaign HQ for Haley Stevens. When you talk about the vibe in the room, the bar is full, people are in line waiting, and there are a lot of drinks around.

The giant cheese board they have across from me is pretty much untouched, so people may be too nervous to eat. But this is basically the scene here: They're eating, they're drinking, they're watching the results come in on the screens.

They have networks on, watching very, very closely for results, and there were a couple of cheers, a couple of oohs and aahs and applause when some of the early results came in.

Rick Brattin wins the Republican primary for Missouri's 5th Congressional District, NBC News projects.

See the latest results here.

I'm here at Abdul El-Sayed's headquarters in Michigan. This is a room of people who are full of anticipation. They are expecting to win tonight.

Attendees watch vote results coming in during a primary election night watch party with Abdul El-Sayed in Detroit today. Sarah Rice / Bloomberg via Getty Images

There are a lot of young people here, a lot of people who were here for hours for what they believe will be a celebration. I also heard the same sentiment at the polling locations.

When I talk to people who voted for El-Sayed, they say this is bigger than just one Senate seat. They see it as something that will lead to change.

We're here at Wesley Bell's headquarters in St. Louis, where the doors didn't even open up to supporters until just a few minutes before he was projected as the winner in a Democratic primary rematch against former Rep. Cori Bush.

NBC News projected Bell will win, yet there’s no sign of him here. The room is only about one-third full. We actually broke the news that Bell had been projected as the winner to one member of his team.

We're not sure Bell's campaign was prepared for how quickly this was going to be called. Staffers had been confident, they had felt good all day, and we spoke to Bell earlier today when he voted, but we don’t know that he and his campaign expected this kind of a crushing victory.

Wesley Bell defeats Cori Bush in Missouri Democratic primary rematch, NBC News projects

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Jeremy Moss wins the Democratic primary for Michigan's 11th Congressional District, NBC News projects, which is open because Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens is running for the Senate.

See the latest results here.

Michael Bouchard wins the Republican primary for Michigan's 10th Congressional District, NBC News projects, which is open because GOP Rep. John James is running for governor.

See the latest results here.

Rep. Wesley Bell defeated former Rep. Cori Bush in a Democratic primary rematch, NBC News projects, in the latest chapter of a long-term fight over a deep-blue St. Louis-based district.

Read the full story here.

See the latest results here.

Adam Hamilton wins the Democratic Senate primary in Kansas, NBC News projects.

See the latest results here.

Jocelyn Benson wins the Democratic primary for Michigan governor, NBC News projects.

See the latest results here.

Ty Masterson wins the Republican primary for Kansas governor, NBC News projects.

See the latest results here.

Polls are now closing in all of Kansas and Michigan, as voters choose nominees for Senate, governor and other offices.

The Kansas governor’s race is a top GOP pickup opportunity, as Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly leaves office after two terms.

Two Democrats running in Michigan’s 7th Congressional District voiced concerns today over the Justice Department’s decision to monitor polling locations in four Michigan cities.

William Lawrence told NBC News' "Meet the Press NOW" that the Justice Department’s presence at polling sites “absolutely does raise concerns,” though he said his campaign had not heard any reports of issues at the locations being monitored.

“But to me it looks like a dry run and a fact-finding mission to interfere in a bigger way with the general election in November,” Lawrence said, arguing the effort could foreshadow broader federal involvement ahead of the general election in November.

Fellow Democrat Matt Maasdam also criticized the move, saying the Trump administration is “trying to inoculate people to thinking this is normal, and it’s not.”

Polls are closing in part of Michigan, where Democrats are voting in a contentious Senate primary, with the winner set to face former GOP Rep. Mike Rogers.

Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens, who is backed by retiring Sen. Gary Peters, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has positioned herself as a moderate against progressive Abdul El-Sayed. He has endorsements from Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.

In Missouri, former Rep. Cori Bush is looking to reclaim the seat she lost in a primary to Rep. Wesley Bell in 2024.

Shannon Taylor wins the Democratic primary for Virginia's 1st Congressional District, NBC News projects. She'll face GOP Rep. Rob Wittman in the general election.

See the latest results here.

There are a lot of dynamics at play in Michigan's Senate Democratic primary, but one important one will be how large the Black vote is as part of the Democratic primary electorate. A look at a handful of recent public polling reports in the district shows why.

Three recent public polls that showed Democrat Abdul El-Sayed leading significantly also had the Black voter share at about 20% of the electorate. An earlier poll from Glengariff Group for the Detroit News and NBC affiliate WDIV of Detroit had Black voters at about 30% of the primary electorate, and it had Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens up by 7 percentage points. That's because Stevens consistently overperforms El-Sayed, a former public health official, among those voters.

Such demographic weighting differences happen all the time in polling, but it's worth thinking about how those different assumptions affect the results. It's certainly possible that the spate of late polling showing El-Sayed up by double digits reflects his capturing momentum in the race. But if Stevens keeps it close or pulls off a win, it could be because of strong Black turnout.

The Maryland State House in Annapolis.  Jonathan Newton / The Washington Post via Getty Images file

Maryland’s Democratic-controlled Legislature voted today to place a constitutional amendment on the November ballot that would pave the way for it to eliminate the state’s lone Republican-held congressional district before the 2028 election.

The move came after months of divisions among Democrats over whether they should redraw the state’s congressional map in response to GOP redistricting efforts across the country.

Democratic Senate President Bill Ferguson had long balked at joining the mid-decade redistricting fight, arguing that an aggressively redrawn map could backfire in court. He faced pressure from state and national Democratic leaders, including Gov. Wes Moore and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., to take up a new map ahead of this year’s midterms.

But after a major U.S. Supreme Court ruling this spring weakened the Voting Rights Act and further opened the floodgates for Republicans to redraw congressional boundaries, particularly in Southern states, Ferguson changed his tune. He agreed to a special legislative session this month to take up a constitutional amendment that helped alleviate his initial legal concerns about the push.

Read the full story here.

Bert Mizusawa wins the Republican Senate primary in Virginia, NBC News projects. He'll face Democratic Sen. Mark Warner in November.

See the latest results here.

Former Rep. Elaine Luria wins the Democratic primary for Virginia's 2nd Congressional District, NBC News projects. She'll face off against Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans in a rematch of 2022, when Kiggans defeated the incumbent Luria in this Norfolk-area district.

See the latest results here.

Polls closed at 7 p.m. ET in Virginia, where voters are choosing the Republican nominee for the Senate as Democrat Mark Warner runs for re-election. But the state’s biggest races this year may be taking place on a smaller scale.

Two Republican-held battleground districts could help decide control of the House in this year’s midterms. Democrats are choosing nominees to take on longtime Rep. Rob Wittman in the 1st District and Rep. Jen Kiggans in the 2nd District. Meanwhile, Republicans are looking to challenge Democratic Rep. Eugene Vindman in the 7th District.

Missouri’s Republican secretary of state, Denny Hoskins, said today that he wouldn’t certify a referendum seeking to undo the state’s new GOP-drawn congressional map, arguing that the effort was unconstitutional.

“After careful consideration, I have determined the challenge to the new ‘Missouri First’ congressional map to be insufficient based on its unconstitutionality,” he said in an interview ahead of his public announcement.

People gather at the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City in September to protest the Legislature's efforts to change the state's congressional map. Tammy Ljungblad / The Kansas City Star/Tribune News Service via Getty Images file

The announcement is set to further fuel the legal battle over the new map Missouri lawmakers approved 11 months ago, which carved up one of the state’s two Democratic-held districts. It was part of a push led by Trump for GOP-led states to take up redistricting proposals to shore up the party’s narrow House majority ahead of this year’s midterm elections.

Read the full story here.

MyPillow head Mike Lindell, a longtime Trump ally, told NBC News today that he has no intention of paying the sanctions and mounting court fees he owes in a defamation case centered on his false claims that the 2020 election was rigged.

Asked whether he would pay the fees, which now amount to more than the sanctions he was originally ordered to pay, Lindell said in a phone call, "Absolutely not."

Instead, Lindell, who is running for governor of Minnesota, said he plans to go on the offensive and file a motion that includes documents about election security that Trump released last month. While those documents revealed scant evidence to back up Trump's claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election, Lindell said today that they will show that "everything I ever said was true."

Lindell was ordered to pay Smartmatic USA Corp., a voting machine company, $56,369 in January after it sued him for defamation over his claims about fraud in the 2020 election. After he was found in contempt for not paying the sanctions, Lindell has been charged a $500 fine each day since early April.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.  Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images file

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, became the first Republican to say she would vote no when the full chamber takes up Blanche's confirmation vote after his nomination advanced today.

“Mr. Blanche has taken several actions that have further eroded the Department’s independence, and that is the basis for my vote to oppose his confirmation,” Collins said of the Justice Department in a statement, citing Blanche’s role in the IRS settlement agreement and the creation of the "anti-weaponization" fund.

The Supreme Court this afternoon announced the cases scheduled for oral arguments when its next term begins in October, and it kicks off with a high-profile climate change case.

The justices will hear Suncor Energy Inc. v. Commissioners of Boulder at 10 a.m. Oct. 5. The case involves Boulder County, Colorado, which is seeking millions of dollars in damages under a state law to cover local climate-driven costs for conditions like wildfires, extreme heat and floods, alleging companies like Suncor hid fossil fuel risks.

The question in the case is twofold: whether federal law prevents claims under state law seeking relief for injuries allegedly caused by the effects of interstate and international greenhouse-gas emissions on the global climate, and whether the Supreme Court has the authority to hear this case at all.

Haley Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed. Democratic Senate candidates from Michigan.  Getty Images

Voters in Ferndale, Michigan, shared with NBC News the issues that were determining factors as they cast ballots in today's closely watched Senate Democratic primary with candidates Abdul El-Sayed and Haley Stevens.

Mark Foster said a big reason he's backing El-Sayed is that he's a "defender of Palestine."

“This is the first time that I’ve actually gotten to vote for a candidate that excites me,” Foster said.

Hanna O'Neill said El-Sayed's calls to abolish ICE are what got her to vote for him.

"That's top of mind for me," she said. "I think their approach is completely wrong. I think it’s anti-American. I think immigrants should be welcomed here. And how they go about enforcing policies, I don’t agree with at all."

Iran was most likely behind a wave of recent cyberattacks on municipal water systems across the U.S., two people familiar with the incidents told NBC News, as officials in metro Atlanta said they were investigating “unauthorized cyber activity” that may have disrupted water operations.

The federal government publicly confirmed last week that “malicious cyber actors” had attacked water operations in at least seven states, though it did not attribute the activity to anyone. The FBI and the Environmental Protection Agency have not identified the states; officials in Minnesota and Michigan said some of their systems were breached.

Read the full story here.

It is primary day in a handful of states, and voters are heading to the polls with key races up for grabs that could signal which direction the parties are headed in before the November midterms. One of the most closely watched contests is in Michigan, which has become the Democrats’ most expensive Senate primary race ever. NBC News’ Shaquille Brewster reports and Steve Kornacki joins the "TODAY" show with analysis.

Democrats face big test in critical Michigan primary

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Jay Clayton was sworn in as director of national intelligence today, taking over from Bill Pulte, who held the role in an acting capacity.

The Senate confirmed Clayton in a 51-47 vote last week along party lines.

White House aide Margo Martin shared a video clip of the swearing-in in the Oval Office by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent as Trump looked on.

Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, is speaking out again as scrutiny continues over the abuse allegations his daughter Emily Moreno made against her former husband, Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio.

“This is truly the seventh level of hell," Bernie Moreno said today. "This has been a horrific experience for my entire family."

Emily Moreno has accused Miller of throwing hot water on her, throwing her against a wall and holding a gun to her head, according to police reports. Their daughter has also sustained a broken collarbone and bruising, the cause of which was disputed but investigated by police in February.

Miller has denied any wrongdoing and has not been charged. He called the senator’s previous comments about him “political" on X this week.

Embattled Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, said today that he will ask the House Ethics Committee to investigate domestic abuse allegations made by his ex-wife — an unusual move to try to exonerate himself amid a messy custody battle that is playing out in public view.

“In light of all the renewed interest in my family affairs I am going to file my own paperwork for an ethics investigation into myself to clear my name from these horrific attacks on myself and family. I have absolutely nothing to hide,” Miller, who has vehemently denied the allegations, said on X.

Rep. Max Miller. Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images file

Read the full story here.

New Trump administration rules banning humanoid robots made in China and other countries have also swept up a product that is already a fixture in American homes: smart vacuums.

Read the full story here.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said he spoke to Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, about Blanche's nomination, adding that he thinks his colleagues are "trying to process this."

After Blanche's nomination was voted out of committee this morning, Cornyn told reporters that he had a "good conversation" with Collins last night.

"She’s one of the most diligent individuals I know, certainly, here in the United States Senate, and we had a good conversation," Cornyn said. "She’ll have to speak for herself as to her ultimate conclusion, and I’ve also been exchanging messages with Sen. Murkowski, and I know we’ll have further conversations about this."

Collins and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, have previously bucked their party on important votes. Neither has publicly committed to support Blanche yet. Collins is in a competitive re-election race this fall.

Epstein survivor Dani Bensky called the Senate Judiciary Committee vote on Blanche’s nomination to be attorney general "incredibly depressing" in remarks to reporters after the meeting.

Bensky, who was in the audience during the meeting, said she will try to meet with Republicans and ask them to vote against Blanche's nomination when it comes before the full Senate.

“I think it’s incredibly depressing and upsetting for American democracy,” Bensky said. "I think that survivors should be taken seriously. I think that it needs to be just as much of an issue and just as much of a topic as the slush fund.”

Bensky said she tried to meet with Sens. Thom Tills, R-N.C., and John Cornyn, R-Texas, before today’s vote, but they would not meet with her and other survivors.

The two senators had withheld their support for Blanche based on concerns about Trump's IRS settlement, which provided tax audit immunity and created an "anti-weaponization" fund intended to compensate alleged victims of political prosecutions. But they changed their positions to supporting Blanche after he recently put in writing that the fund would not go forward and clarified the scope of the audit immunity provision in the settlement.

“I think that that’s a real missed opportunity, and I think that it just shows our country’s priorities," Bensky said. "It’s really upsetting.”

“There’s always a glimmer of hope that somebody will do the right thing, and I was really hoping that it would be John Cornyn,” she said. “To see that this is how he’s going to end his career and his legacy, it’s it’s really depressing.”

Bensky said she will be now be prioritizing meetings with Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Bill Cassidy, R-La., who have expressed concerns about Blanche's nomination.

“The fight is not over, and we are really looking to meet with other offices of senators, specifically Cassidy and Murkowski and Collins,” Bensky said. “I think there is still hope there, and we hope that they’ll do the right thing.”

There are mounting questions about whether one of Trump’s longtime allies, Jeanine Pirro, will keep her job after he lashed out on her decision to drop charges against a former Olympic canoeist indicted for vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. NBC’s Gabe Gutierrez reports for the "TODAY" show.

Jeanine Pirro Faces Uncertain Future After Reflecting Pool Case

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A nomination cannot be brought to the floor the same day it is reported out of committee, so the earliest Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., can start the floor process for Blanche's nomination will be tomorrow.

Here’s the general timeline:

• Tomorrow: Thune files a motion to end debate on Blanche's nomination; no vote is needed on this day.
• Thursday: Considered an ‘intervening day’ where, by the book, no votes related to the nominee are taken.
• Friday: One hour after the Senate convenes, it will vote on ending debate on the nomination. That motion needs a simple majority to move forward, starting up to 30 hours of debate on Blanche.

The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Blanche's nomination in a 12-10, party-line vote.

The full Senate is expected to vote on his confirmation in the coming days.

Democratic senators delivered speeches criticizing Blanche before the vote, characterizing him as someone who would prioritize loyalty to Trump over the department's traditional independence. Republican Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina and John Cornyn of Texas also delivered remarks explaining why they ultimately decided to support Blanche.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said at today's meeting on Blanche's nomination that he plans to introduce a resolution to reject the Trump tax immunity deal as "possible precedent, seeking to stop it from becoming a means of others seeking the same kind of illegal privilege that Donald Trump will have as a result of this deal."

Blumenthal, a former federal prosecutor and state attorney general, said the documents formalizing the end of the related "anti-weaponization" fund are "meaningless" and are "non-enforceable."

"In just a few weeks, thousands of young law school students will begin a contracts course," he said. "What they will learn is that a contract can’t be modified or changed by some outside party when there is a meeting of the minds. And there was, in effect, an agreement, a meeting of the minds, between Donald Trump and the United States of America to settle his case. Now, Todd Blanche purports to change it. This document is a sham. It is a sham and a fraud on the Congress in so far as it seeks to change our minds by representing something that is patently false."

Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, argued that Blanche has indicated that his loyalty lies with the president over the Constitution.

She referred to a question she asked Blanche during his confirmation hearing last month, when she asked him if he believed it was a president's "right and duty to order the investigation or prosecution of his perceived enemies, yes or no?"

At the time, Blanche said he "can't answer that yes or no," adding that Trump is "in charge of the Department of Justice, and so my answer reflects that idea, not that he has the right to go after his political enemies."

Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., framed Blanche as someone who would not stand up to Trump when necessary.

"Throughout the decades since the Watergate crisis, both parties have consistently recognized the importance of an attorney general who can and will stand up to the president and say no, and serve as an attorney general in defense of the Constitution, not just the agenda of any one president," Coons said. "Will acting Attorney General Blanche meet that standard? We have clear evidence he will not."

Coons, like other Democratic colleagues, argued that Blanche's recent agreement to rescind the so-called "anti-weaponization" fund did not go far enough.

"Nothing would stop him" from revoking his order and and moving to reinstate the fund after being confirmed, Coons said.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., slammed Blanche over the DOJ's "anti-weaponization" fund and suggested that the documents formalizing the end of the effort are "decorative."

"What problems do they leave behind? Well, one is, can you trust Todd Blanche going forward? I will tell you, I do not," he said. "I think it would be unreasonable to trust him going forward. There is enough weasel room in these documents to drive a truck through."

Whitehouse, a former federal prosecutor, said the documents don't prevent another fund from being started. "You could open a drive-up window at the Department of Justice for cop beaters from Jan. 6 to come through and get friendly federal Tort Claims Act settlements from the Department of Justice," he said.

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said at the start of the Judiciary Committee's meeting on Blanche's nomination that he believes the nominee sufficiently addressed his concerns.

Tillis criticized both parties for what he alleged was a "weaponization" of the Justice Department, pointing to the Biden administration as well as Trump's and saying, "we both have a problem, folks" and calling on lawmakers to address it across the board.

"The bottom line is nobody is clean here, and until we start recognizing this behavior as bad, we're just going to one up it," he said. "Maybe it's a little bit more intense in this administration than the last one, and that a little bit more intense than the prior administration, and so on and so forth. But folks, we've got to end this stuff."

Tillis said he would support Blanche's nomination and hopes the department sees "a bending of the curve of this absurdity."

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, explained during the hearing why he decided to support Blanche's nomination after being hesitant because of the terms of Trump's settlement with the IRS.

Cornyn pointed to the agreement with Blanche, who committed to formally rescinding the "anti-weaponization" fund and clarified limitations on tax audit protections in the settlement.

"They've been consistent about their assertion on behalf of the United States of America that the weaponization fund is dead, and of course I expect them to live up to that in any future litigation," Cornyn said. "Given this agreement with Mr. Blanche, I expect the department to live up to this in future litigation, and I will vote to advance him out of the committee today."

Cornyn also argued that having the Justice Department led by a permanent attorney general, rather than an unconfirmed nominee, is good for its stability.

Durbin rebuked Blanche in his opening statement over his handling of the Justice Department's release of the Epstein files.

The ranking member said that FBI personnel were directed to "flag Epstein records and look for any mention of Donald Trump."

"Mr. Blanche refused to tell me who gave this order, but former Attorney General Bondi made it clear, saying Blanche was in charge of the Epstein files," he said.

Durbin then went after Blanche over the DOJ's failure to redact Epstein survivors' information in the files, saying it victimized them all over again.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said that Blanche has "has no business serving as our nation's chief law enforcement officer."

Durbin, the top Democrat on the committee, argued that Blanche's release Sunday did not go far enough to kill the so-called "anti-weaponization" fund. He expressed concerns that it could be resurrected and used to benefit Jan. 6 defendants.

"To state the obvious, Mr. Blanche's statement on the slush front and the IRS immunity agreement are not signed by the parties to the settlement agreement, and are therefore unenforceable," he said. "The parties could still sue to enforce the agreement, and the cop beaters fund can easily be revived with a new order from the Department of Justice 15 minutes after Mr. Blanche is confirmed as attorney general."

Durbin accused Blanche of lying to the committee about the substance of their private conversation, in which he said Blanche told him the fund was a mistake. Durbin said Blanches contradictory testimony indicated he would try to avoid offending Trump.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, addressed Blanche critics in his opening statement who have said that the acting attorney general doesn't care about crime victims.

"Despite clear evidence that America is safer under Mr. Blanche's leadership, some have alleged that he doesn't care about victims. I can think of plenty of victims who would disagree with that," Grassley said.

The chairman pointed to a letter sent to the committee by 300 families whose relatives were killed by undocumented immigrants in which they voiced support for Blanche.

Epstein survivor Dani Bensky, one of the many critics of Blanche, is in the audience for the committee meeting.

Epstein survivor Dani Bensky in the audience today. Frank Thorp V / NBC News

The deal that Blanche struck with two holdout Republican senators to formally kill the Trump administration’s $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund has a major loophole that could allow it to come back to life.

Read the full story here.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said at the start of the panel's meeting on Blanche's nomination that he agreed with the concerns of Sen. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis about Trump's settlement with the IRS, which included a so-called "anti-weaponization" fund intended to compensate alleged victims of political prosecutions.

The Iowa Republican criticized how long it took for the issue to get resolved, saying, "It's just a crime that it took so long to work out with such a common sense thing that's pretty simple."

Sen. John Cornyn greets Sen. Chuck Grassley as he arrives today. Win McNamee / Getty Images

The senator also expressed gratitude that the "anti-weaponization" fund was formally rescinded and that Blanche clarified the scope of Trump's audit protections, which were part of the settlement.

Blanche is expected to pass through committee after Cornyn and Tillis announced they would support the nominee after they struck an agreement on the IRS settlement.

The Senate Judiciary Committee meeting to consider Blanche's nomination has begun.

Senators are expected to deliver remarks on the nominee before a vote is called on whether to advance Blanche favorably out of committee.

After Republican Sens. John Cornyn, of Texas, and Thom Tillis, of North Carolina, said they would now support Blanche after reaching an agreement with him on Trump's IRS settlement, he is expected to have enough support for his nomination to advance.

Several Michigan voters weighed in on the Senate Democratic primary in their state in interviews with NBC News yesterday.

The first choice candidate for one voter, Leslie, is Rep. Haley Stevens, but she said that she would support Abdul El-Sayed if he wins the Democratic nomination.

"There needs to be a balance right now, and the fact that Trump is getting away with a lot of the stuff that that, you know, half the country doesn’t agree with, we don’t have a balance," Leslie said. "We don’t have the legislature to actually say this is not OK."

Another voter, Austin Mcfarlane, said he supports El-Sayed for Senate. Asked if he would vote for Stevens in the general election if she wins the nomination, he said, "I would have to think about it," adding that his vote isn't guaranteed just because she's a Democrat.

Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., downplayed concerns last night that her position on Israel could cost her the general election if she wins the Democratic nomination today for an open Senate seat.

“I’m doing this the Michigan way,” Stevens told NBC News when asked about voters who don’t support her pro-Israel stance.

“This is a tough, complicated, hard issue for a lot of people, and I have been very consistent,” she said. “I understand that people might disagree, but leadership and public service is also taking positions and communicating effectively and transparently, and that’s how I’ve won four tough elections.”

As recently as yesterday, when protesters heckled her as she walked into an event to make a closing pitch to voters in Grand Rapids, Stevens has faced scrutiny over donations from the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee, also known as AIPAC. Her primary opponent, Abdul El-Sayed, has accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians.

Trump accused Iran of duplicity and insisted the two sides were discussing reopening the Strait of Hormuz as early as today, even as Tehran denied talks were even taking place.

The diplomatic confusion was underscored by an attack on a cargo vessel near the strait’s Oman coast, as reported by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre, an organization run by the British navy that helps protect commercial shipping in high-risk areas.

Read the full story here.

The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a meeting this morning to vote on Blanche’s nomination to be attorney general.

Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, will gavel the meeting in, and we expect senators on the committee to give speeches about Blanche before they vote on his nomination.

While Grassley will try to move things along, he’s typically deferential to senators who want to speak before a vote, so the process could take hours. Once they get to the vote, the clerk will call all the senators by name, starting with Grassley and all the Republicans, and then with Durbin and all the Democrats.

After the senators vote, the clerk will announce the tally, and we expect Blanche's nomination to be sent to the full Senate along party lines.

Republicans have a 12-10 majority in the Senate Judiciary Committee, so if a GOP senator were to vote against Blanche’s nomination, it will effectively be stuck in committee. That is not expected to happen.

The House Ethics Committee said yesterday that it is recommending that the full House censure Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., after it found that he “engaged in persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct towards two young female staffers.”

Read the full story here.

Twenty-five states sued the Trump administration yesterday over its latest tariffs, calling them a pretext for replacing import taxes the Supreme Court struck down in February.

The United States last month imposed double-digit tariffs on 59 countries and the European Union, charging that they had not done enough to crack down on imports produced by forced labor. The new tariffs took effect just as the clock ran out on temporary tariffs Trump had turned to after the Supreme Court defeat.

Read the full story here.

The Democratic Party’s deepest divisions are on display in today’s primaries across five states, particularly in Michigan’s closely watched Senate race.

Read the full story here.

Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee are expected to advance Blanche’s attorney general nomination today after it had been delayed over concerns from two Republican senators on the panel.

Blanche’s path to confirmation had been on hold after Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina — both of whom are leaving Congress in January — raised concerns about the “anti-weaponization” fund that the Trump administration tried to establish back in May to give taxpayer-funded payments to Trump allies, potentially including Jan. 6 rioters Trump pardoned on his first day back in office.

Read the full story here.