President Donald Trump said Thursday he may withdraw and delay Todd Blanche’s nomination as attorney general until Republican senators who are seeking concessions from the top prosecutor leave office.
Trump said he would keep Blanche in his current role as acting attorney general and resubmit the nomination after Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina depart the Senate. “I have no objection to temporarily withdrawing Todd’s name,” Trump posted on his social media site. “If they do not do the right thing, and putting him back after Cornyn and Tillis are out of office.”
The statement came after the Senate Judiciary Committee postponed a crucial vote scheduled for Thursday to advance Blanche’s nomination following weeks of negotiations that failed to resolve disputes between the administration and the two Republican senators. With all Democratic senators opposed to Blanche, just one Republican holdout on the committee could prevent the nomination from advancing to a full Senate vote.
Cornyn and Tillis have demanded written assurances from the Department of Justice regarding Trump’s controversial settlement of a lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service. The settlement, reached in May between Trump’s DOJ and the IRS, included a provision granting Trump and others immunity from IRS audits related to tax returns filed before the agreement was reached. The deal also initially included a $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund to compensate people the administration claimed were wronged by the Justice Department. That fund was subsequently canceled after bipartisan criticism, but the two senators want written guarantees that it cannot be revived.
Blanche, who served as Trump’s personal attorney before joining the Justice Department, oversaw the controversial settlement as acting attorney general. During his confirmation hearing earlier this month, he testified the anti-weaponization fund was “just not moving forward.” Cornyn and Tillis now insist the administration provide written modifications to the settlement to align with Blanche’s testimony and to limit the scope of the audit immunity granted to the president and his family.
“Maybe John Cornyn’s upset with me because I didn’t endorse him,” Trump said Wednesday when asked about the senator’s resistance to Blanche’s nomination. Cornyn had lost the Republican primary in Texas to Ken Paxton, the state’s attorney general, whom Trump had endorsed. Tillis chose not to seek reelection.
The two senators are departing Capitol Hill at the end of the current Congress. Cornyn quickly responded to Trump’s latest statement on social media, writing that the president is “mistaken if he believes concerns about the provisions in his tax lawsuit settlement are limited to me and Senator Tillis.” He suggested broader Republican concern exists about the arrangement.
“Maybe they think I’m just going to give up or, you know, go along,” Cornyn told reporters. “But they’re mistaken.” He added: “So they better get real, and there’s not much time left.” Time is indeed limited with the Senate set to break for an extended August recess, leaving only days for negotiations before lawmakers depart Washington.
Blanche took over as acting attorney general in April following the departure of former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi. He had previously served as deputy attorney general after his Senate confirmation in early 2025. As acting attorney general, he has continued to lead the Justice Department while his nomination for the permanent position has faced these obstacles.
Trump described Blanche as a “STAR” and said his former personal lawyer is “outstanding” and “a great lawyer.” The president indicated he would keep Blanche in the acting position regardless of what happens with the confirmation vote. However, legal experts have noted that the audit immunity provision could personally benefit Trump to the tune of an estimated $100 million.
The dispute highlights unusual dynamics within the Republican Party, with Trump facing pushback from within his own party on one of his highest-profile Cabinet nominees. Senate Majority Leader John Thune encouraged the Trump administration to find a resolution with the two holdout senators so the nomination could move forward.
Tillis also criticized the arrangement, telling CNBC that the president’s position on the issue is problematic. “The president’s not winning on this issue,” Tillis said. “It is killing some of our candidates because they can’t explain it.” The senator’s comment suggested the controversy surrounding the Trump-IRS settlement is becoming a political liability for the Republican Party more broadly.
The postponement of the committee vote represents a significant setback for Trump on a Cabinet-level confirmation, coming as the Senate has little time remaining before the August recess and the remainder of the congressional session. Whether Trump ultimately withdraws the nomination or whether a last-minute agreement can be reached between the administration and the two Republican senators remains uncertain.