By Charlie McCarthy | Friday, 31 July 2026 08:06 AM EDT
President Donald Trump on Friday morning criticized Texas Senator John Cornyn for blocking Todd Blanche’s nomination to become U.S. Attorney General after the senator reversed his position on a fund designed to compensate victims of alleged government weaponization.
In a Truth Social post, Trump accused Cornyn of changing his stance only after losing the Republican primary in Texas to Attorney General Ken Paxton, whom Trump endorsed. “John Cornyn never had a problem with the so-called ‘Fund,’ which will not benefit me but rather the great American Patriots who were hunted down like dogs and whose lives were unfairly and illegally destroyed by the Crooked Joe Biden Administration,” Trump wrote. “Until after I decided to Endorse and Support his Republican Primary opponent in Texas.”
The president defended the proposed compensation fund, stating it was intended for Americans whose lives were “ruined” by political persecution under the Biden administration—not for himself. “I gave up any payments for myself,” Trump added, referencing the FBI’s 2022 search of his Mar-a-Lago estate. He noted that many legal experts, including Cornyn, had previously condemned the raid as an example of government weaponization.
Trump argued Americans targeted by federal investigators deserved compensation and claimed voters endorsed this position by electing him in 2024. “Todd Blanche, a good man, should be immediately approved as U.S. Attorney General,” Trump concluded.
Trump’s remarks came a day after he signaled he would have “no objection” to temporarily withdrawing Blanche’s nomination if Cornyn and Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina continued blocking his confirmation while allowing Blanche to remain acting attorney general. The Senate Judiciary Committee postponed a scheduled vote on Blanche on Thursday following demands from Cornyn and Tillis for written assurances from the Justice Department that it had permanently abandoned a proposed $1.8 billion anti-weaponization compensation fund.
Cornyn stated he is “not prepared” to support Blanche without formal documentation confirming commitments made during his confirmation hearing. The senator argued verbal assurances were insufficient and sought written proof the fund would not proceed. The Department of Justice has maintained it provided Cornyn’s staff with a written proposal and remains willing to continue discussions, while Tillis has aligned himself with Cornyn’s demands.
The standoff highlights the growing rift between Trump and Cornyn after the president endorsed Paxton in Texas’ Republican Senate primary—a race that ended Cornyn’s Senate career. Blanche, who previously served as one of Trump’s personal defense attorneys, has received strong backing from the president, who has called him “a STAR” and stated he has the potential to become “one of the Greatest Attorney Generals of All Time.”
