Blanche nomination for AG up in the air as vote nears in US Senate panel

WASHINGTON — Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s nomination to permanently fill the nation’s top law enforcement role appeared in limbo Wednesday after two Republican senators — John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina — remained dissatisfied with Blanche’s handling of the administration’s “anti-weaponization” fund and a tax immunity deal.

A scheduled meeting between Blanche and Cornyn, a member of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary that must advance the nomination, fell through Wednesday morning. Cornyn said he did not receive requested documentation that President Donald Trump’s tax settlement deal with the IRS was fundamentally changed.

In exchange for Trump voluntarily dropping in May his $10 billion suit against the IRS over leaked tax documents, Department of Justice and Internal Revenue Service officials signed a settlement absolving the president, his sons Eric and Don Jr., and the Trump Organization from future tax enforcement in the matter.

Blanche, during his confirmation hearing before the committee, defended the tax deal for Trump, his sons and their private organization, as “typical” of IRS settlements. He also maintained the “anti-weaponization” fund portion of the deal had been completely scrapped. 

Before being appointed as the deputy attorney general, and then acting AG, Blanche worked as Trump’s personal defense lawyer on multiple criminal cases.

“The meeting with Todd Blanche is off,” Cornyn told reporters Wednesday morning, according to comments shared by his office. 

“We made clear from the outset that we expected some written proposals to modify the release that was signed in the tax dispute with President Trump and his organization,” he said, adding this is the second scheduled meeting with DOJ officials that had fallen through.

Vote held over

The Judiciary Committee held over Blanche's nomination vote on July 23 until July 30, “per standard committee practice,” according to a spokesperson for Chairman Chuck Grassley.

“Senator Grassley tells me that we need to know by 4 o'clock this afternoon whether the (vote) is still on, so we still got a little time, and hopefully they now recognize the seriousness of this and will be responsive,” Cornyn told reporters.

Grassley’s office declined to comment.

The committee vote on Blanche’s nomination was still advertised for 9 a.m. Eastern Thursday on the panel’s website, as of 5 p.m. Eastern.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters he “would encourage them to sit down, which I think they are, and try to come to a resolution there.”

A Department of Justice official said in a statement, “The DOJ provided a written proposal to Senator Cornyn’s staff yesterday following ongoing discussion with both the Committee and the Senator’s office. We look forward to further discussion around any outstanding concerns.”  

‘Maybe John Cornyn is upset with me’

When asked about opposition to Blanche’s nomination, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office Wednesday that Blanche is “outstanding.”

“Maybe John Cornyn is upset with me because I didn't endorse him, I don't know what it is. But I haven’t heard that there’s a problem. I heard he’s going through quite nicely,” Trump said.

Cornyn, who criticized the Trump settlement Wednesday, faces little consequence to his Republican Senate career. Cornyn was knocked out of the Republican primary in a runoff election in May after Trump endorsed his opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

The Judiciary Committee is split between 12 Republicans and 10 Democrats. All Democrats are expected to oppose Blanche, and a majority vote is required to advance Blanche’s nomination to the full Senate for final approval.

Tillis also grilled Blanche during his July 15 confirmation hearing about the administration’s establishment of a nearly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund. Upon announcing the fund, Blanche described the pot of money as financial relief for “victims of lawfare” of any political ideology.

Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle quickly criticized the fund and its potential to reward pardoned Jan. 6, 2021, rioters who assaulted police officers during the attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Tillis said during the hearing he wanted to see the Justice Department “stick a fork” in the fund once and for all.

Blanche maintained he had already clarified the fund would not move forward when he said as much during a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing in June. 

Tillis’ office did not respond to a request for comment about whether he would support Blanche’s nomination.

Tillis, who is retiring, also faces little risk of losing favor with Trump if he opposes Blanche. Trump subjected Tillis to intense criticism for opposing the Big Beautiful Bill Act in 2025 and said he would find candidates to oppose Tillis in his primary.

Former Department of Justice officials told committee Democrats the IRS settlement language was “mind-boggling,” during a July 22 forum hosted by Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J. 

In a July 13 order, the Florida federal judge in the IRS case slammed Trump’s settlement with his own administration as using the presidency to “manipulate” the courts.