Two Republicans Just Stalled Trump’s Justice Plans

President Trump is now weighing whether to pull his own attorney general nominee after two Republican senators stalled the confirmation over a controversial Justice Department fund and Trump’s IRS settlement deal.

Story Snapshot

President Trump says he may withdraw Todd Blanche’s attorney general nomination until Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis leave office.
Two Republican senators are blocking a committee vote over demands to kill a $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund and change Trump’s IRS settlement.
Todd Blanche’s nomination remains in limbo, even though he is already serving as acting attorney general.
The fight exposes deep Republican splits over justice reform, political “weaponization,” and January 6-related issues.

Trump Weighs Pulling His Own Nominee

President Trump told reporters he has “no objection” to pulling Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general until Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis leave the Senate in January, a direct response to their refusal so far to back Blanche in committee. Trump noted that Blanche will remain as acting attorney general even if the formal nomination is withdrawn, signaling he is willing to wait out the two critics rather than change the Justice Department’s position on the disputed fund or settlement.

Trump also reminded listeners that he declined to endorse Cornyn and Tillis for reelection and argued his lack of support helped end their political careers. That history now hangs over the confirmation fight, since both senators are using their final months in office to press for written changes to the Internal Revenue Service settlement that limits audits of Trump and his family for older tax years, and to stop any revival of the “anti-weaponization” fund. The standoff turns a nomination into a power struggle inside the Republican Party itself.

Why Cornyn and Tillis Are Holding Out

Senator John Cornyn of Texas has said clearly he is “not prepared” to vote yes on Blanche’s nomination until the Justice Department puts in writing that the $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund is permanently dead and that Trump’s tax settlement language is tightened. Cornyn even canceled a planned meeting with Blanche ahead of the Judiciary Committee vote, stressing that his questions about the fund and audit protections remain unanswered in writing, even after Blanche tried to reassure him during sworn testimony.

Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina has raised a different but related concern, focusing on who might benefit from the now-shelved fund and on Blanche’s stance toward the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Tillis has said he will oppose nominees he views as sympathetic to those who stormed the Capitol and has tied his vote on Blanche to clear opposition to those events as well as formal closure of the “anti-weaponization” fund. Both senators say they want the department’s paperwork to match Blanche’s testimony that the fund is finished, not just verbal assurances in a hearing.

Blanche’s Nomination Stalled, But Not Dead

Todd Blanche is already serving as acting attorney general, having stepped into the role in April 2026 after previously serving as Deputy Attorney General and as a personal lawyer to Trump in earlier legal battles. President Trump formally sent Blanche’s nomination to the Senate in June, giving him the standard presumption attached to any presidential pick for the nation’s top law enforcement job. The Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings where Blanche was grilled on his work on the fund and the tax deal but did not move his nomination forward after Cornyn and Tillis withheld support.

Committee leaders postponed the planned vote rather than defeat Blanche outright, leaving the nomination technically alive but frozen. With Senator Lindsey Graham’s death, Republicans hold only a one-vote edge on the panel, so a single Republican “no” can stop the nomination from advancing to the full Senate. That math gives Cornyn and Tillis enormous leverage, even as other Republicans indicate they see Blanche as qualified and simply want detailed written fixes to the settlement and fund language before they commit.

Weaponization Fund, IRS Settlement, and Conservative Concerns

The “anti-weaponization” fund at the heart of this fight was a proposed $1.8 billion pool for people who claimed they were victims of unfair government targeting, including some tied to January 6 cases and other politically charged investigations. Critics on and off Capitol Hill attacked it as a taxpayer-backed payout system that could blur lines between justice reform and rewarding lawbreakers, while supporters said it was meant to help people hurt by biased prosecutions or heavy-handed federal actions.

[Take 10/15 · D-5]
### D-5. Todd Blanche's attorney general nomination placed on hold July 30
*(as of 2026-07-30)*

**1. The Frame**

**What people think this is about:** A routine Senate confirmation hiccup for Trump’s pick to lead the DOJ, with two Republican senators…

— GrumpyNews, emotionally clean news. (@GrumpyNews_) July 30, 2026

Alongside the fund, the Internal Revenue Service settlement affecting Trump and his family also raises flags. Reports say the agreement sharply limits audits of certain older Trump-related tax filings, which Cornyn and others view as too generous and too closely tied to the president’s personal finances. They want written changes that narrow any immunity from audits and ensure no backdoor path for old tax issues to be quietly sealed off, a point many conservatives see as vital to keeping the tax system fair and avoiding special deals for political leaders.

What This Fight Means for Conservatives

For many conservative readers, this clash shows how hard it is to clean up a justice system they feel has been weaponized for years against political opponents, parents at school board meetings, and everyday citizens. President Trump’s push to install Blanche, an attorney with direct experience fighting what he calls a “weaponized” legal system, fits the promise to restore equal justice and stop partisan prosecutions. At the same time, some Republicans in the Senate are insisting that any reforms be written in ways that cannot be twisted into special protections for politicians, even those they agree with.

The result is a messy but important debate inside the right about how to fix government overreach without creating new loopholes or slush funds. Whether Trump withdraws Blanche’s nomination now and re-submits it after Cornyn and Tillis leave, or whether the Justice Department produces the written assurances that satisfy them sooner, this episode highlights how much power a few senators can wield over the direction of law enforcement, tax policy, and the fight against political weaponization. It also shows that conservative demands for clear, honest documents are reshaping how nominations move in Washington today.