Chicago – July 30, 2026
President Donald Trump said Thursday he may temporarily withdraw Todd Blanche’s nomination to be attorney general rather than accept Republican demands tied to a disputed tax settlement involving Trump and his family. The move came after the Senate Judiciary Committee delayed a vote because Sens.
John Cornyn and Thom Tillis were withholding support over concerns about a now-scrapped $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” and language shielding the president from future tax scrutiny.
Trump said Blanche would continue serving as acting attorney general and could be renominated after Cornyn and Tillis leave office next year. Cornyn and Tillis said they want the Justice Department to put its assurances in writing, while Blanche has insisted the fund is dead.
Chairman Chuck Grassley postponed the committee vote to avoid a likely defeat for the nomination, as Democrats were expected to oppose Blanche unanimously. The standoff underscores how a narrow Republican split could derail one of Trump’s top Justice Department picks.
