President Donald Trump is pushing back against Republican senators who are blocking confirmation of his attorney general pick, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis have withheld their support for Blanche over two specific concerns: a $1.776 billion tax settlement between Trump and the IRS, and an anti-weaponization fund critics say could pay out people who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in an attempt to block the certification of the election for Joe Biden.
In a Truth Social post Friday, Trump attacked Cornyn directly over the fund.
“John Cornyn never had a problem with the so called ‘Fund,’ which will not benefit me, but rather the great American Patriots who were hunted down like dogs and whose lives were unfairly and illegally destroyed by the Crooked Joe Biden Administration, until after I decided to Endorse and Support his Republican Primary opponent in Texas, who easily won the Nomination for the United States Senate," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump also complained about Cornyn in the post and referenced endorsing against him.
Tillis responded to Trump, calling the fund a misallocation of taxpayer dollars.
"The President made it clear today that the so-called Anti Weaponization Fund is still alive, which is exactly why we are attempting to formally end it," he said. "While I never disagreed that the Biden Administration pursued a number of vindictive prosecutions related to January 6, the criminals who assaulted police officers and defiled our nation’s Capitol are not 'great American patriots' who are 'victims of government abuse.' Anyone who attacked law enforcement should still be in prison, not getting a check from the federal government."
But later on Friday, Trump said the fund is "dead," although he still wishes there would be a fund.
"It is dead, but I wish it weren't, to be honest with you. I think people were horribly treated, horribly abused," Trump said.
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Both Cornyn and Tillis had sought written proof that Blanche would eliminate the anti-weaponization fund before moving forward with his confirmation. Blanche has reportedly told at least one Democratic senator that establishing the fund was a mistake.
Trump's latest post appears to signal he is not walking back support for the fund, making confirmation appear less likely without the reassurances the two senators are seeking.
Senator Lisa Murkowski also told me she wants reassurances before moving forward with Blanche's nomination, though she is not a member of the Judiciary Committee.
"I don't know that they're not. Maybe they will, but they haven't been able to come around to that yet," Murkowski said, when asked whether the Trump administration would drop the anti-weaponization fund.
Murkowski said she has concerns about both the fund and the IRS tax settlement.
"I've expressed my concern not only about the anti-weaponization fund, but also the IRS tax settlement agreement," Murkowski said.
Blanche played a role in negotiating the tax settlement between Trump and the IRS.
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Cornyn has previously responded directly to Trump on social media. Whether Cornyn and Tillis will respond to the president's latest post — or ultimately come around on Blanche's confirmation — remains unclear.
Both Cornyn and Tillis are serving out the rest of their Senate terms after losing primaries earlier this year to Trump-backed candidates.
