On Thursday, President Donald Trump announced he has no objection to temporarily withdrawing Attorney General nominee Todd Blanche from consideration due to opposition from Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis.
In a Truth Social post, Trump praised Blanche as an exceptional candidate while criticizing the two senators for refusing to support his confirmation. “Todd Blanche is a STAR, and everyone knows it!” Trump wrote. “He has the potential to go down as one of the Greatest Attorney Generals of All Time.”
Trump stated that Cornyn and Tillis — both of whom he refused to endorse — were blocking Blanche’s nomination despite having previously supported former Attorney General Merrick Garland. “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 added. He noted that Blanche would remain acting attorney general in the interim.
The announcement followed a delay by the Senate Judiciary Committee in voting on Blanche’s nomination. The committee postponed its planned Thursday vote after Cornyn and Tillis demanded additional written assurances from the Justice Department regarding a settlement tied to Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service.
Republicans hold only a narrow majority on the committee, making opposition from the two senators likely to block Blanche’s advancement to the full Senate.
Cornyn stated he was “not prepared” to support Blanche unless the administration provided formal documentation of commitments made during his confirmation hearing. Cornyn has sought written confirmation that the Department of Justice has permanently abandoned a proposed $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund, which critics argued could compensate individuals claiming they were politically targeted by the federal government — including some prosecuted in connection with the January 6, 2021, Capitol protest.
“We don’t need well-wishes or impressions,” Cornyn said. “We need concrete confirmation of what he testified to.”
The Justice Department has maintained it provided Cornyn’s staff with a written proposal and remains willing to continue discussions, though Cornyn insisted he had not received the specific documentation he requested.
Tillis has aligned with Cornyn’s concerns, expressing his own desire for written commitments before supporting Blanche’s nomination.
The dispute highlights ongoing tensions between Trump and Cornyn following the president’s backing of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Republican primary that ended Cornyn’s Senate career.
