Two prominent Republican senators, John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, have ended their opposition to President Donald Trump’s nominee for Attorney General, acting AG Todd Blanche. The senators had previously resisted confirming Blanche, seeking concessions from the administration.

Cornyn and Tillis secured explicit assurances that the nearly $2 billion anti-weaponization fund would be eliminated and that Trump’s audit immunity would not extend beyond him and the defendants named in his IRS lawsuit. Following these agreements, the senators expressed satisfaction with the deal and indicated their readiness to support Blanche’s confirmation.

In a joint statement, they said, "We want to express our gratitude to Mr. Blanche and his staff for working with us on this, and we look forward to voting to advance his nomination out of the Senate Judiciary Committee soon."

Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley, Republican from Iowa, rescheduled the confirmation vote for Tuesday after canceling the previous week’s hearing. Blanche’s confirmation had been in jeopardy amid the earlier resistance.

Thom Tillis commented over the weekend, "It’s unfortunate that Todd Blanche, who I consider qualified for the job, will not be confirmed because of this reversal," reflecting on the impact of the concessions.

Blanche appeared at a confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill on July 15, 2026. The developments on August 3, 2026, mark a significant shift in the confirmation process for the Justice Department’s leadership.

Sources