Live: Vance holds White House press briefing amid Trump-DOJ settlement, 'slush fund' accusations

Vice President JD Vance is expected to hold a White House press briefing on May 19, 2026. Vance will fill in for Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is on maternity leave. Vance's briefing comes as the Justice Department announced it is offering $1.776 billion to "victims of lawfare and weaponization" as part of a settlement of a $10 billion lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump and his family against the IRS. In announcing the fund, which critics say is geared toward benefiting Trump's political allies with taxpayer dollars, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Trump's former personal defense lawyer, said the government "should never be weaponized," and the DOJ is aiming to "make right the wrongs that were previously done. News of the deal quickly drew sharp ethical objections from congressional Democrats and government watchdogs. "It’s official. Trump dropped his lawsuit against his own IRS to get a $1.8 billion slush fund to pay his political allies. Your tax dollars become his giveaways to his friends," Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, posted on social media. More on DOJ payout to Trump: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/p... 🎥: GOVERNMENT AGENCY