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Trump poses ultimatum on Blanche, will push for "anti-weaponization fund" if AG not confirmed
CBS News • • nation
Key Points:
- President Trump issued an ultimatum to Senators Thom Tillis and John Cornyn, demanding they stop blocking Todd Blanche's confirmation as full-time attorney general or he would push to revive his proposed $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization fund."
- Tillis and Cornyn oppose confirming Blanche without a written guarantee that Trump will abandon the fund, which was announced as part of a settlement in Trump's lawsuit against the IRS and Treasury but has faced legal and political challenges.
- Trump stated he would keep Blanche as acting attorney general and aggressively pursue the fund's passage if the senators do not support Blanche, despite earlier claims that the fund was "dead."
- Tillis criticized Trump's reversal and said the fund would face opposition from most Senate Republicans, while the Senate Judiciary Committee scheduled a vote on Blanche's nomination for Tuesday, aiming for confirmation before the August recess.
- The "anti-weaponization fund" has been legally blocked and widely criticized as a politically motivated payout program, with both Democrats and some Republicans opposing it, making its approval uncertain even if Blanche is confirmed.
