Trump Floats Workaround as Cornyn and Tillis Stall Todd Blanche Vote
President Trump is signaling a backup plan after two Republican senators moved to slow down Todd Blanche’s confirmation process.
The issue came to a head after the Senate Judiciary Committee postponed a key vote that had been expected to move Blanche’s nomination forward. The committee had been set to take up the matter Thursday morning, but the vote was delayed after Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina pressed the Department of Justice for written assurances.
According to the dispute, Cornyn and Tillis want the DOJ to put in writing Blanche’s commitment to scrap what has been described as the weaponization fund. They are also pushing over language tied to restricting Trump’s IRS agreement.
That did not sit well with Trump.
On Thursday morning, Trump said he may temporarily withdraw Blanche’s name if the two senators refuse to back the nomination. The workaround, as Trump described it, would be to keep Blanche in place in an acting role and resubmit the nomination later, after Cornyn and Tillis are no longer in office.
Trump’s statement was blunt:
“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.
Remember, both Cornyn and Tillis voted for Merrick Garland, and others, too numerous to mention.
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. President DONALD J. TRUMP”
The message puts fresh pressure on Cornyn and Tillis, both of whom are already under fire from parts of the Republican base. Trump made a point to remind supporters that both senators voted to confirm Merrick Garland, a name that remains deeply unpopular with conservatives after years of DOJ actions viewed by many on the right as politically motivated.
Blanche, meanwhile, remains a key Trump ally and legal figure. Trump’s comment that Blanche would “remain, in any event, as Acting” is the central part of the workaround. In other words, the confirmation fight may be delayed, but Trump is making clear he does not plan to simply drop Blanche because two GOP senators are holding out.
The postponed committee vote now leaves the nomination in limbo. Grassley’s delay gives senators more time to sort out the dispute, but it also exposes the split inside the party. For Trump’s supporters, the fight is another example of establishment Republicans using process and paperwork to slow down the president’s agenda.
Whether Cornyn and Tillis back off remains to be seen. But Trump has already put his next move on the table: pull the nomination for now, keep Blanche serving, and bring him back later.