Trump Threatens to Withdraw Blanche as Attorney General, Dealing Blow to Nomination

Key Points:

• Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general is in jeopardy after President Trump threatened to withdraw his name rather than limit a tax immunity deal benefiting Trump and his family, as demanded by Republican Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis.
• Trump’s threat followed unsuccessful negotiations between Blanche, the White House, and the two senators, who want the immunity deal narrowed to apply only to Trump, two of his sons, and the Trump Organization, and limited to past tax audits.
• The deal, negotiated by Blanche and Trump’s personal lawyers, grants broad immunity from IRS audits to Trump and his family, potentially saving them over $100 million in penalties, drawing criticism from Democrats and some Republicans.
• Senators Cornyn and Tillis, who are not returning to Congress next year, met privately with Blanche to try to resolve the impasse, but no agreement has been announced.
• The standoff highlights limits on Trump’s influence over Congress and complicates Blanche’s path to confirmation as attorney general.