Trump ups pressure on Senate GOP in Blanche fight, vows ‘anti-weaponization’ fund revival

Administration Trump ups pressure on Senate GOP in Blanche fight, vows ‘anti-weaponization’ fund revival Comments: by Steff Danielle Thomas - 08/01/26 10:01 AM ET Comments: Link copied by Steff Danielle Thomas - 08/01/26 10:01 AM ET Comments: Link copied

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President Trump on Saturday renewed his criticism of the delayed confirmation for Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to serve in the role full-time, warning he could keep Blanche in the interim spot and revive the controversial $1.776 billion ‘anti-weaponization’ fund.

He also called out Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who have been the faces of the stalled vote. Neither Republican has committed to advancing the nomination, which Trump argues is related to the senators losing his support.

“If Senators Cornyn and Tillis, both upset because I wouldn’t Endorse them (they lost, and quit, respectively!), aren’t going to approve Todd Blanche, one of the most respected professionals, according to everybody, in the Country, to be the United States Attorney General, then I will keep Todd as Acting A.G., and push hard to get the Anti-Weaponization Bill, which takes care of those who have been so badly treated by the Crooked Joe Biden (and Obuma!) Administration (I get nothing, although I was treated horribly!), PASSED,” the president wrote on Truth Social.

He added, “Todd Blanche was a voice of reason! It will immediately be back on the table, and I will get it done.”

Trump’s vow to pursue the fund appears to contradict repeated assurances from Blanche and the Justice Department (DOJ) that the fund, which would compensate people who claim they were unfairly targeted by the federal government, is being dissolved. The potential revival prompted a swift response from Tillis.

“Despite comments as late as yesterday that the fund is dead, President Trump clearly intends to resurrect the payout pot for punks either by inappropriately establishing another bogus fund or pushing Congress to vote for a bill that the majority of Republicans in the Senate would be against,” he wrote Saturday on social platform X.

“It’s unfortunate that Todd Blanche, who I consider qualified for the job, will not be confirmed because of this reversal. Hopefully, we can resolve this by Tuesday,” Tillis added.

The Senate Judiciary Committee was set to vote the nomination Thursday, but it was postponed after the North Carolina Republican and Cornyn withheld their support. Both senators have asked for written assurances that the compensation fund is “dead.”

Earlier this week, Trump also suggested he could temporarily withdraw Blanche’s nomination and resubmit it after the duo leave the Senate next year. Cornyn lost his reelection bid in May to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R), who was endorsed by the president, and Tillis opted not to seek another term.

The Judiciary panel, chaired by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), has rescheduled the vote for next week.

Blanche, Trump’s former personal lawyer, took the reins of DOJ in April, after former Attorney General Pam Bondi was ousted by Trump. Much of his tenure has been centered on the release of files tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and the “anti-weaponization” fund, which was part of the president’s $10 billion settlement with the IRS.

That settlement has also come under scrutiny after a federal judge ruled that he colluded with his own government to secure the deal and block his past tax returns from being made public. Trump is appealing the decision.