President Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general, Todd Blanche, cleared a major confirmation hurdle on Sunday when two Republican senators who had been holding out for weeks announced they would back his candidacy.
Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina said they struck a deal with the Department of Justice that resolved their concerns about a $1.8 billion fund the administration had set up to compensate individuals the White House labeled victims of government “weaponization.” Blanche formally rescinded the fund in a legally enforceable agreement released late Sunday.
“After successful negotiation of a legally enforceable document, we look forward to voting to confirm Mr. Blanche,” Cornyn and Tillis said in a joint statement. Their backing removes the final procedural obstacle ahead of a Senate Judiciary Committee vote scheduled for Tuesday.
The two senators had repeatedly clashed with the Trump administration over the past year, with Cornyn in particular objecting to what he described as executive overreach in using DOJ funds for political purposes. The anti-weaponization fund had been established by executive order earlier this year and drew fierce criticism from legal ethics experts who warned it could be used to reward political allies.
Blanche, who currently serves as acting attorney general, had his original confirmation hearing on July 15 before the Senate Judiciary Committee. That hearing was marked by sharp exchanges over the fund and DOJ independence, and a scheduled committee vote was postponed amid the standoff with Cornyn and Tillis.
With the holdouts now on board, Blanche is expected to secure committee approval on Tuesday and advance to a full Senate floor vote as early as this week. If confirmed, he would become the permanent attorney general after serving in the acting role since the departure of his predecessor.
The confirmation battle highlighted deep tensions within the Republican caucus over the scope of presidential power and the independence of the Justice Department. Critics had warned that the anti-weaponization fund could effectively become a slush fund for settling scores with political opponents, while the administration argued it was necessary to restore fairness.
Sources: NPR, Washington Post, USA Today
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