Trump floats temporarily withdrawing Blanche’s AG nomination over GOP holdouts

Trump floats temporarily withdrawing Blanche’s AG nomination over GOP holdouts
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley (R-IA), Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) attend a Finance Committee hearing on July 30, 2026, in Washington, DC. Cornyn is withholding support for President Donald Trump’s nominee for U.S. attorney general, Todd Blanche, until he gets reassurances on Trump’s IRS lawsuit settlement and the elimination of the “anti-weaponization fund.” (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump on Thursday floated the possibility of temporarily withdrawing Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general as his confirmation is being held up by two outgoing Republican senators.

“Todd Blanche is a STAR, and everyone knows it! He has the potential to go down as one of the Greatest Attorney Generals of All Time. However, John Cornyn, of Texas, and Thom Tillis, of North Carolina, both of whom I refused to Endorse, and whose political careers have been ended by my action, are refusing to vote for this Great Nominee, who will remain, in any event, as Acting,” Trump wrote in a social media post.

“I have no objection to temporarily withdrawing Todd’s name, if they do not do the right thing, and putting him back after Cornyn and Tillis are out of office,” Trump wrote.

Earlier Thursday morning, Cornyn said there were “new complications” in the standoff.

Cornyn is demanding the Department of Justice put in writing that the nearly $1.8 billion so-called “Anti-Weaponization Fund” is officially dead, and that the scope of President Trump’s immunity deal with the IRS be narrowed.

“I know that Todd Blanch understands it, but I think he’s probably getting some pushback from the White House, and that’s making things more complicated than there needs to be,” Cornyn told ABC News.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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