Trump escalates Senate feud over Blanche and the slush fund
President Trump is escalating a Senate standoff over Todd Blanche's stalled attorney general nomination, signaling he may withdraw Blanche and renominate him after Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis leave. The fight centers on a roughly $1.8 billion anti-weaponization payout critics call a slush fund for Trump allies.
According to PBS NewsHour, Trump has floated pulling Blanche's nomination and bringing him back once Cornyn and Tillis are gone from the Senate.
Those Republicans want assurances that a fund to compensate Trump allies who say they were wrongfully prosecuted will not move forward. The clash now dominates celebrity breaking news coverage of the nomination fight.
Key Takeaways
- Trump may pull Blanche's attorney general nomination and renominate him after Cornyn and Tillis leave office.
- Cornyn and Tillis are demanding the roughly $1.8 billion anti-weaponization payout be stopped for good.
- PBS analysts described the payout as a billion-dollar slush fund tied to Trump's prosecution grievances.
- Despite Blanche's promises, senators still fear Trump's DOJ payout fund is not truly dead.
- Other Republicans may share the holdouts' objections while letting Cornyn and Tillis take the heat.
Why is Todd Blanche's nomination stalled?
Blanche's confirmation to serve as attorney general has stalled as Cornyn and Tillis press for hard guarantees on the anti-weaponization program. PBS host Geoff Bennett said Trump appears willing to sacrifice a swift confirmation rather than concede on the settlement fund.
That choice elevates the payout dispute above the usual nomination horse-trading. It also turns two lame-duck Republican senators into the decisive veto players on Blanche's fate.
What is the anti-weaponization slush fight about?
The program is a roughly $1.8 billion fund—described on PBS as about $1.776 billion—to compensate people who believe they were wrongfully prosecuted. David Brooks of The Atlantic called it a billion-dollar slush fund and linked it to Trump's broader claim that past cases were deep-state attacks.
Brooks also said Trump wants immunity tied to Internal Revenue Service exposure. Jonathan Capehart argued other Republican senators are uneasy about the fund and may be using Cornyn and Tillis as "human shields."
Why do senators fear the payout fund isn't dead?
Blanche has offered assurances that the payout is finished, yet senators still fear Trump's DOJ payout fund isn't dead—the concern framed in Washington Post coverage of the standoff.
Cornyn and Tillis want more than verbal promises before unlocking their votes. Capehart said he expected Republicans to fold after hearings, but the pair have so far held their ground.
Could Trump simply wait out Cornyn and Tillis?
Trump's escalation—threatening to withdraw Blanche now and renominate him later—treats waiting out the holdouts as an alternative to concessions. The New York Times framed the move as an intensified feud with the Senate over Blanche.
Whether that gambit works depends on the Senate after Cornyn and Tillis depart. For now, Blanche's nomination remains blocked while the fight over the anti-weaponization slush fund continues.