Republican holdouts meet with Blanche as his AG nomination remains in jeopardy

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche met Thursday afternoon with Republican Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis following President Donald Trump’s threat to pull his nomination, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News. 

It marked the first meeting the group has had this week following Cornyn’s multiple cancellations on Blanche. It’s not clear where the negotiations stand after the gathering.

Trump floated the possibility of temporarily withdrawing Blanche’s nomination to permanently lead the Department of Justice because of the resistance from the two outgoing Republican senators.

“Todd Blanche is a STAR, and everyone knows it! He has the potential to go down as one of the Greatest Attorney Generals of All Time. However, John Cornyn, of Texas, and Thom Tillis, of North Carolina, both of whom I refused to Endorse, and whose political careers have been ended by my action, are refusing to vote for this Great Nominee, who will remain, in any event, as Acting,” Trump wrote in a social media post.

“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,” Trump wrote.

Both senators’ terms will end in January. Cornyn lost a primary battle in Texas earlier this year after Trump endorsed his opponent, Ken Paxton. Tillis announced last year he would not seek reelection after Trump threatened to field primary challengers.

Cornyn, in response to Trump’s social media post, suggested that, in addition to him and Tillis, there are more lawmakers with “concerns” regarding Blanche.

“POTUS is mistaken if he believes concerns about the provisions in his tax lawsuit settlement are limited to me and Senator Tillis,” Cornyn wrote on X. 

Cornyn is demanding the Department of Justice put in writing that the nearly $1.8 billion so-called “Anti-Weaponization Fund” is officially dead, and that the scope of Trump’s immunity deal with the IRS be narrowed.

As part of Trump’s settlement with the IRS in his $10 billion lawsuit against the agency, the DOJ issued an addendum, signed by Blanche in his role as acting attorney general, that would bar the government from continuing any existing audits of tax returns filed by Trump, his family and their companies.

Cornyn said earlier Thursday afternoon that he doesn’t need the DOJ to modify the language of the settlement, but that he wants written documentation that the settlement won’t provide tax audit immunity that extends to affiliated organizations for Trump and his family that weren’t part of the lawsuit. 

“We actually asked for them to produce another piece of paper, basically reconfirming his sworn testimony, and that I think would satisfy me and Tillis, but they won’t even do that. So I don’t think they’re serious about resolving,” he argued.

“The fact that they’re balking at putting that in writing tells me that they were hoping to get by with this settlement agreement and his testimony, and then revitalize those provisions at a later date,” Cornyn added. “And that’s — I don’t think good faith negotiations.” 

Tillis said the administration could “roll the dice” and wait out his and Cornyn’s Senate terms, but said Trump is getting bad advice on how to proceed with Blanche’s nomination.

“Hey, 158 days they can try it again, roll the dice on what the Senate confirmation process looks like next year. It’s all on him. It’s certainly within his authority to do that,” Tillis said.

The Senate Judiciary Committee postponed its scheduled Thursday vote on Blanche’s nomination for attorney general.

Withdrawing Blanche’s nomination is a decision that would have no consequence in terms of Blanche leading the DOJ. Blanche can continue to serve as acting attorney general.

Acting department officials can serve in the role for 210 days, according to the Federal Vacancies Reform Act — however, that resets if a nomination is withdrawn.

Cornyn said he doesn’t think it’s a good idea for Trump to temporarily pull Blanche’s nomination.

“I don't know if it’s just a negotiating technique on his part, but it doesn’t really solve any problems because there’s no guarantee he’s going to have enough Republican votes in January to confirm him if he withdraws the nomination now,” Cornyn said.