Trump Vows to Temporarily Withdraw Todd Blanche’s Attorney General Nomination Over Senate Opposition

President Donald Trump announced on Thursday he has no objection to temporarily withdrawing Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general due to opposition from Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina.

In a Truth Social post, Trump praised Blanche as an exceptional candidate while criticizing the two Republican senators for refusing to support his confirmation effort.

The president declared: “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.”

Trump stated that Cornyn and Tillis—both of whom he refused to endorse—were blocking Blanche’s nomination despite having previously supported former Attorney General Merrick Garland, who served under President Joe Biden.

“I have no objection to temporarily withdrawing Todd’s name,” Trump wrote. “If they do not do the right thing, I will put him back after Cornyn and Tillis are out of office.” He added that Blanche would remain acting attorney general in the interim.

The announcement followed a postponement by the Senate Judiciary Committee of its scheduled Thursday vote on Blanche’s nomination. The committee delayed the vote after Cornyn and Tillis demanded additional written assurances from the Justice Department regarding a settlement tied to Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service.

With Republicans holding only a narrow majority on the committee, the senators’ opposition threatened to block Blanche from advancing to the full Senate.

Cornyn stated he was “not prepared” to support Blanche unless the administration provided formal documentation of commitments made during his confirmation hearing. He has sought written confirmation that the Department of Justice has permanently abandoned a proposed $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund that critics argued could compensate individuals claiming they were politically targeted by the federal government, including some prosecuted in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol protest.

“We don’t need well-wishes or impressions,” Cornyn said. “We need concrete confirmation of what he testified to.”

The DOJ has maintained that it provided Cornyn’s staff with a written proposal and remains willing to continue discussions, though Cornyn insists he has not received the documentation he requested.

Tillis has aligned with Cornyn’s concerns, expressing his own desire for written commitments before supporting Blanche’s nomination.

The dispute underscores lingering tensions between Trump and Cornyn, stemming from the president’s backing of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Republican primary that led to Cornyn’s defeat in the Senate race.