Trump AG Nominee’s Fate Lies In Hands Of 2 GOP Senators President Has Clashed With
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche's confirmation depends on two Republican holdouts who could quash his chances of becoming the next attorney general.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s confirmation depends on two Republican holdouts who could quash his chances of becoming the next attorney general.
Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina demanded the Department of Justice (DOJ) formally end the $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund, which aimed to compensate victims of government weaponization. Cornyn and Tillis’ support is crucial for advancing Blanche’s nomination out of the Senate Judiciary Committee during a vote scheduled for Thursday.
Blanche repeatedly said the fund is “dead.” Some Republican senators raised concerns that the fund would compensate Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol rioters convicted of violent crimes. The fund threatened the passage of a $69.5 billion reconciliation package that Trump signed into law on June 10.
The fund was created as part of a settlement to end President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Cornyn also demanded that the settlement be rewritten so Trump and his family were no longer shielded from tax audits related to past returns.
The Texas senator said Tuesday there is “no deal” on the Blanche nomination, indicating that the administration must agree to his demands in exchange for his support. He expressed concern during Blanche’s confirmation hearing that the fund could be revived.
“Fake news alert: there is no ‘deal’ on Blanche nom. They know what they have to do,” Cornyn said on X.
Cornyn said Monday that the DOJ had “not sufficiently” addressed his concerns.