Trump Threatens To Keep Todd Blanche As Acting Attorney General If GOP Holdouts Block Confirmation
President Trump says he is prepared to keep Todd Blanche running the Justice Department as acting attorney general if two Republican senators continue blocking his permanent confirmation, escalating a bitter intraparty fight over Blanche and the administration’s proposed $1.776 billion anti-weaponization fund.
Trump singled out Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, both of whom are leaving the Senate, accusing them of standing in the way of a nominee he strongly supports. The president said Blanche would remain acting attorney general regardless and raised the possibility of temporarily withdrawing his nomination before submitting it again after Cornyn and Tillis leave office in 2027.
The showdown centers on the proposed anti-weaponization fund, which grew out of Trump’s settlement with the IRS and was designed to compensate people who say they were unfairly targeted by the federal government. Cornyn and Tillis have demanded firm assurances that the Justice Department will not implement the fund before they agree to support Blanche.
Blanche previously testified that the fund was “dead,” briefly raising hopes that the dispute could be resolved. President Trump, however, has now made clear that he wants to revive the proposal, arguing that Americans who were subjected to politically motivated government investigations or prosecutions deserve compensation. That reversal has further complicated Blanche’s path to confirmation.
Tillis responded by saying Blanche’s confirmation now appears unlikely, despite stressing that his opposition is focused on the disputed fund rather than Blanche personally. The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to consider the nomination, but with Democrats expected to oppose Blanche, Republican defections could prevent him from advancing.
Blanche has served as acting attorney general since April following Pam Bondi’s departure and simultaneously holds the position of deputy attorney general. President Trump formally nominated him for the permanent position in June after praising his leadership at the Justice Department and his work advancing the administration’s law enforcement priorities.
President Trump’s latest warning makes clear that he has no intention of abandoning Blanche because of opposition from two outgoing Republican senators. Instead, he appears prepared to wait them out, keep Blanche in charge on an acting basis and potentially restart the confirmation battle once a new Senate is seated in 2027.