Trump May Temporarily Pull Blanche AG Nomination
President Donald Trump said Thursday that he may temporarily withdraw Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general and put his name forward again after two Republican senators blocking the confirmation process leave office in January, according to NPR. Blanche would remain acting attorney general regardless of the nomination’s status, Trump said.
The move reflects a deepening standoff over the Justice Department’s May settlement with Trump that ended his lawsuit against the IRS over leaked tax returns. The agreement created a $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” and included protections for Trump, his family, and his businesses from audits of past tax returns, according to the Justice Department.
Why the Nomination Is Stalled
Blanche, Trump’s former personal defense lawyer, faced a contentious confirmation hearing in mid-July. He has been a polarizing pick to lead the Justice Department amid questions about his handling of the Epstein files, the targeting of Trump’s political foes, and the broader politicization of the department, NPR noted after the hearing.
Senate Judiciary Committee members John Cornyn (R-TX) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) are withholding their support over the IRS settlement. Blanche has said the anti-weaponization fund is dead and not moving forward, but the senators want written guarantees from the department about the scope of the tax-audit immunity deal — guarantees they say the DOJ has refused to provide.
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which included Trump’s adult sons and the Trump Organization, received a formal apology but no monetary payment under the settlement. The fund was designed to compensate people who alleged they were unfairly targeted by the government, meaning money could have gone to defendants charged with wrongdoing in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. A related provision shielded Trump and his associates from audits of past tax returns.
Late Wednesday, Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) postponed the scheduled vote on Blanche’s nomination as work continued to secure sufficient support. Republicans hold a narrow majority on the committee and cannot afford to lose a vote, with Democrats united in opposition.
Trump’s Truth Social Post
In a Thursday post, Trump praised Blanche as “a STAR” who could “go down as one of the Greatest Attorney Generals of All Time,” while criticizing Cornyn and Tillis, both of whom he said he refused to endorse. “I have no objection to temporarily withdrawing Todd’s name, if they do not do the right thing, and putting him back after Cornyn and Tillis are out of office,” Trump wrote, as OAN reported.
Both senators are leaving Congress in January. Tillis announced his retirement last year after publicly clashing with Trump over his tax-and-spending bill, while Cornyn lost his primary this year to a Trump-backed challenger.
Cornyn pushed back on social media, writing that “POTUS is mistaken if he believes concerns about the provisions in his tax lawsuit settlement are limited to me and Senator Tillis.” Tillis told The National Desk that the president was “getting bad advice” and should listen to Blanche’s assurances that the fund should be “rendered completely dead.” The two senators met privately with Blanche for about 45 minutes Thursday afternoon, though it remained unclear whether progress was made. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), who is also leaving office in January, has voiced additional concerns about the settlement and the weaponization of the Justice Department.
What’s at Stake
Trump’s plan to renominate Blanche after January carries significant risk. If Democrats win control of the Senate in November — described by the Cook Political Report as a “distinct possibility” — the path to confirmation would become far more difficult. Cornyn’s suggestion that concerns extend beyond him and Tillis also signals that the dispute may outlast the two senators’ departure.
The standoff has also intensified scrutiny of Blanche’s independence. Democrats have questioned whether the president’s former lawyer can lead the department impartially, and the IRS settlement has become a focal point for broader concerns about political influence over federal law enforcement.
What’s Next
The immediate question is whether the Justice Department will provide the written assurances Cornyn and Tillis are seeking, which could allow Grassley to reschedule the committee vote. Blanche, meanwhile, continues to serve as acting attorney general, and Trump has given no indication he intends to drop the nomination altogether. The coming weeks will determine whether the dispute is resolved in committee or pushed into a new Congress.