Trump threatens to pull Todd Blanche’s AG nomination until after GOP holdouts leave office
NBC News • • nation
Key Points:
- President Trump threatened to withdraw Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general unless Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, who oppose the nomination, leave office in January.
- Cornyn and Tillis object to Blanche’s nomination due to concerns over Trump’s IRS tax return leak settlement, particularly the creation of a $1.776 million “anti-weaponization” fund and audit protections for Trump and his associates.
- Both senators have pushed for the Justice Department to formalize commitments to end the fund and narrow audit protections, but negotiations have stalled, with Blanche reportedly facing resistance from higher-ups at the White House.
- Cornyn and Tillis criticized Trump’s threat as politically tone-deaf and warned it could provide ammunition to journalists and Democrats ahead of the election, while Trump claimed credit for their impending departures from office.
- The Senate Judiciary Committee postponed a vote on Blanche’s nomination due to the opposition, and a single Republican no vote would prevent the nomination from advancing.
