Blanche defends Trump’s tirade against supreme court after it blocked mail-in voting executive order – US politics live

<p>Attorney general says president ‘should communicate his concerns with the supreme court’ after Trump said justices ‘really let our country down’</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/2026/feb/17/sign-up-for-the-breaking-news-us-email-to-get-newsletter-alerts-direct-to-your-inbox?utm_medium=ACQUISITIONS_STANDFIRST&amp;utm_campaign=BN22326&amp;utm_content=signup&amp;utm_term=standfirst&amp;utm_source=GUARDIAN_WEB">Sign up for US Breaking News emails</a></p></li></ul><p><strong>Kash Patel</strong>, the FBI director, is now testifying before lawmakers on the Senate judiciary committee. A reminder that the last time he appeared before Congress was in May, when he sparred with senators on the appropriations committee and denied –&nbsp;under oath –&nbsp;allegations of excessive drinking and unexplained absences on the job, dismissing them as “baseless” during a fiery congressional hearing.</p><p>Today’s hearing is also expected to be full of heated exchanges. <strong>“Mr Patel is the least qualified and most partisan FBI director in our nation’s history,”</strong> said Senator Dick Durbin, the judiciary committee’s top Democrat. <strong>“The bureau has been reshaped as a political weapon against President Trump’s political enemies and a shield to protect the president and his MAGA loyalists, not the American people.”</strong></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2026/sep/15/supreme-court-mail-ballot-restrictions-midterm-elections-trump-ai-politics-latest-news-updates">Continue reading...</a>