Cornyn and Tillis stall Todd Blanche confirmation talks
Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis are in active talks with the White House as the Todd Blanche confirmation hangs on their Judiciary Committee votes. Both retiring Republicans want firmer guarantees that a $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund—and related Trump tax immunity—cannot return.
Key Takeaways
- A single Republican “no” on Senate Judiciary could sink Blanche’s attorney general nomination before a floor vote.
- Cornyn and Tillis confirmed White House outreach while still withholding firm yes votes.
- Blanche calls the anti-weaponization fund “dead,” yet hedges on resurrecting it or ending Trump’s tax-immunity deal.
- GOP leaders hope for a July 30 committee vote and full Senate action in early August.
Why does the Todd Blanche confirmation hinge on two senators?
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche needs unanimous Republican support on the narrowly divided Senate Judiciary Committee. With Democrats expected to oppose him, either Cornyn of Texas or Tillis of North Carolina could block the nomination with a single dissenting vote, CNN reports.
Both senators are leaving office and face less pressure to fall in line. That leverage has flipped the usual dynamic: the White House is now courting two Republicans President Donald Trump previously branded as disloyal.
In Monday interviews on Capitol Hill, Cornyn and Tillis confirmed talks with the administration. A White House official said the administration “continues to have active conversations with members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.” Coverage of the standoff continues across Bizarre World.
What are Cornyn and Tillis still demanding?
At issue is a Justice Department settlement Blanche helped broker that created a $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund and granted Trump, his family, or businesses immunity from past tax issues. A federal judge recently ruled the gambit amounted to an attempt to “manipulate the judicial process,” and Judge Kathleen Williams referred Blanche’s conduct for possible disciplinary review.
Cornyn told Politico he is still working with the administration on amending the settlement to address both the fund and the immunity deal. Asked whether Blanche would yield, Cornyn replied, “Well, does he want to get confirmed or not?”
Tillis has said he needs the fund nullified and noted nearly daily staff contact with the Justice Department. One person familiar with the process said privately, “Tillis, we think, is squared away.”
Is Blanche giving them what they want?
Not fully. In more than 400 pages of written answers, Blanche again said the anti-weaponization fund is “dead.” He would not say whether he would revive it if Trump directed him to, calling it “inappropriate” to comment on hypothetical presidential communications.
He confirmed Trump’s immunity deal remains in effect and declined to commit to withdrawing it. Tillis’s questions about how the $1.776 billion figure was justified drew similar non-answers. Blanche used variations of “inappropriate for me” more than 160 times in the packet.
Republicans still hope Judiciary can advance the nomination on July 30, with a floor vote eyed for the first week of August—if Cornyn and Tillis get the written assurances they say they need.