Todd Blanche’s Senate Confirmation Struggle

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche faced unexpected challenges with his Senate confirmation on Wednesday, a day before a critical vote. This development adds another chapter to the series of troubles Blanche has encountered since his nomination to replace former Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Issues have arisen between Blanche, the Department of Justice (DOJ), and two key Republican senators, John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who hold significant influence over his fate in the Senate Judiciary Committee. They are insisting that the DOJ provide explicit, written proposals to amend the settlement deal between the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and President Donald Trump.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune from South Dakota expressed hope for a resolution that would advance Blanche’s confirmation. Thune urged the White House and Senators Cornyn and Tillis to find common ground, allowing the confirmation process to progress. He aimed for next week to host the major floor vote to officially confirm Blanche as Bondi’s successor.

The DOJ had a deadline of 4 p.m. on Wednesday to meet these demands, but failed, leading to a halt in Blanche’s confirmation journey. Without assurances that Cornyn or Tillis would support his confirmation, Chuck Grassley, Senate Judiciary Committee Chair, chose to postpone the hearing.

Cornyn and Tillis specifically target the nearly $2 billion anti-weaponization fund and Trump’s audit immunity. Concerns about the fund’s allocation to individuals involved in the January 6 Capitol riots have united Republicans and Democrats in opposition. Trump’s audit immunity, established in a settlement deal where the IRS agreed not to audit Trump, his family, or affiliated companies, has also stirred controversy.

Cornyn has been the most insistent on meeting his demands before supporting Blanche. In recent weeks, he leveraged his position to negotiate concessions from the Trump administration, demanding the removal of audit immunity language from the settlement. Although meetings were scheduled with Blanche to address these issues, they were canceled due to a lack of responsive documents from the DOJ.

Trump commented on the senate delay, distancing himself from the situation and expressing confidence in Blanche’s qualifications. Despite Blanche’s turbulent confirmation process, Trump maintained that Blanche was progressing well.

Tillis clarified he held no grudge against DOJ or Blanche. He acknowledged the complexity of getting the needed written proposals approved, suggesting that the actual settlement might have been signed by Trump’s lawyer instead of the President himself.

Amid this ongoing saga, some senators remain hopeful that the necessary agreements and language modifications could enable Blanche’s confirmation to proceed soon.

Alex Miller reports on the U.S. Senate for Fox News Digital.