Trump says he ‘may’ pull Blanche AG nomination temporarily

Trump says he ‘may’ pull Blanche AG nomination temporarily

President Donald Trump announced Thursday, July 30, 2026, that he is willing to temporarily withdraw the nomination of acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. The move follows a standoff with two Republican senators who are withholding their support over a Justice Department settlement regarding the president's lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service.

The friction centers on a deal to end the IRS lawsuit over leaked tax returns. The settlement established a sweeping immunity deal protecting Trump, his family, and his businesses from audits of past tax returns. It also created a nearly $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund intended to compensate individuals who alleged they were unfairly targeted by the government. Republican senators expressed concern that this fund could have provided money to defendants charged in the Jan. 6 riots.

Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina have demanded written guarantees from the Justice Department regarding the scope of the tax immunity deal and the status of the fund. While Blanche has stated the fund is not moving forward, the senators have pushed for a written commitment to ensure it remains dead and that the audit immunity is narrowed to cover only existing audits rather than protecting future tax filings.

Trump responded to the pressure in a social media post, where he described Blanche as a STAR with the potential to go down as one of the Greatest Attorney Generals of All Time. However, he signaled he would not concede to the demands of the two senators.

"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 Trump, via social media

Both Cornyn and Tillis are scheduled to leave Congress in January. Tillis announced his retirement last year following clashes with Trump over a tax-and-spending bill. Cornyn lost his primary this year to a challenger backed by Trump. The president claimed on social media that the political careers of both men have been ended by my action.

The conflict has already stalled the legislative process. GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, announced late Wednesday that the planned vote to advance Blanche's nomination was postponed. The committee had been scheduled to vote on Thursday morning, but the vote was scrapped after the Justice Department and the senators failed to reach a resolution.

Sen. Cornyn rejected the idea that he and Tillis are the only holdouts. In a post to X, Cornyn wrote that the president is mistaken if he believes concerns about the provisions in his tax lawsuit settlement are limited to me and Senator Tillis.

Blanche, a former personal lawyer for Trump, has faced a contentious path to confirmation. Beyond the IRS settlement, he has faced questions regarding the politicization of justice, the targeting of political foes, and his handling of files related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a matter Sen. Tillis has specifically criticized.

Despite the impasse, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., suggested a path to confirmation remains. Thune told reporters he believes the Senate could confirm Blanche before the August recess if the Judiciary Committee can advance the nomination next week, which is the last scheduled week in session.

If the nomination is withdrawn, Blanche can continue to lead the Justice Department as acting attorney general. He was confirmed last year to the role of deputy attorney general, the agency's second-highest post, which allows the holder to perform the duties of the attorney general if the position is vacant.

The prospect of renominating Blanche after January may face steeper challenges. Democrats remain united in their opposition to the nomination, and a potential Democratic victory in the Senate during the November elections could complicate any future attempt to confirm him.