President Donald Trump is letting Republican Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) know in no uncertain terms that he fully expects the two of them to support the confirmation of acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, going on to threaten to temporarily withdraw the nomination after the two lawmakers blocked the Senate Judiciary Committee from advancing it.
Trump said that he would send the nomination back to the Senate after both lawmakers leave office next year, having lost their primary bids in 2026. “If Senators Cornyn and Tillis, both upset because I wouldn’t Endorse them (they lost, and quit, respectively!), aren’t going to approve Todd Blanche, one of the most respected professionals, according to everybody, in the Country, to be the United States Attorney General, then I will keep Todd as Acting A.G.,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
“And push hard to get the Anti-Weaponization Bill, which takes care of those who have been so badly treated by the Crooked Joe Biden (and Obuma!) Administration (I get nothing, although I was treated horribly!), PASSED,” the president continued. The $1.8 billion Anti-Weaponization fund was announced earlier in the year as part of a settlement from Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS.
According to a report from SAN, as part of the settlement, the Justice Department stated that it would administer the massive fund which was created to provide compensation for individuals who claim they were targeted by a “weaponized” legal system. The fund was immediately criticized for allegedly benefiting President Trump’s allies and those who were connected to the Capitol riot in 2021.
The fund was blocked by a federal judge. Both Cornyn and Tillis stated that they want changes made to the DOJ settlement put in writing before they will agree to support Blanche’s confirmation. One of the changes they are requesting is the elimination of the Anti-Weaponization fund and a narrowing down of language related to tax protections.
Trump acknowledged the legal challenges the fund faces, but still indicated it’s something he wants to bring back at some point, stating during a visit to Camp David that the “fund is dead, but you know I wish it weren’t, to be honest with you.” Tillis had a lot to say about the president’s comments, which he expressed in a post on X.
“Despite comments as late as yesterday that the fund is dead, President Trump clearly intends to resurrect the payout pot for punks either by inappropriately establishing another bogus fund or pushing Congress to vote for a bill that the majority of Republicans in the Senate would be against. It’s unfortunate that Todd Blanche, who I consider qualified for the job, will not be confirmed because of this reversal. Hopefully, we can resolve this by Tuesday,” Tillis said.
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Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley rescheduled a vote on Blanche’s nomination. “Chairman Grassley wants Todd Blanche’s nomination to be successful,” a Judiciary Committee spokesperson said. “Noticing the markup gives more time for the White House to secure the votes for the President’s nominee.”
Watch Tillis run to CNN to attack Trump here: