[REVISION HISTORY]

Blanche AG nomination stalled amid anti-weaponization fund d

Updated 59 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-08-09 18:11 UTC → 2026-08-17 01:04 UTC · added ~~removed~~

In late July 2026, Texas Senator John Cornyn warned he would block the Senate Judiciary Committee’s recommendation of Todd Blanche for U.S. Attorney General unless the settlement tied to former President Donald Trump’s IRS lawsuit was revised. Cornyn demanded the $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund be rescinded and that the tax-audit-immunity provision for Trump and his family be narrowed. Two days later, the committee postponed its confirmation vote after Cornyn and North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis asked for written assurances regarding the fund and the immunity clause. On July 31, President Trump declared on Truth Social that he would not change his stance, opting to keep Blanche as interim Attorney General despite pressure from Cornyn and Tillis. Simultaneously, White House aide Susie Wiles met with Senate Republican leaders to address stalemates over the SAVE America Act and budget disputes, though no resolution was reached. On Aug 2, Acting Attorney General Blanche issued a formal order rescinding the fund, confirming no money had been transferred and that the audit-immunity provision remained limited. This satisfied Cornyn and Tillis, allowing the Judiciary Committee to vote 12-10 to advance the nomination. However, President Trump indicated he might temporarily withdraw the nomination to keep Blanche as acting AG until the two senators' terms ended. On Aug 6, Trump announced he would continue pushing for the anti-weaponization legislation. That same day, Senate Republicans, led by John Thune and Tom Cotton, stalled Justice Department requests for records related to former CIA Director John Brennan and the Russia-collusion investigation. On Aug 9, Todd Blanche's nomination passed the Senate by a single vote. Following the vote, Senator Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana) stated on ~~"Face~~ “Face the ~~Nation"~~ Nation” that he decided to support the confirmation after a 48-hour period of deliberation, despite previous concerns regarding the potential weaponization of the Justice Department.

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