President Donald Trump said Thursday he may temporarily withdraw Todd Blanche's nomination for attorney general after two Republican senators have opposed advancing it.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump praised Blanche as "a STAR" and said he could become "one of the Greatest Attorney Generals of All Time." Trump criticized Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina for opposing Blanche's nomination and said he had "no objection" to temporarily withdrawing it if they "do not do the right thing."
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Trump said Blanche would remain acting attorney general and suggested he could renominate him after Cornyn and Tillis leave office.
The comments came after Senate lawmakers scrapped a committee vote scheduled for Thursday on Blanche's nomination, demanding written assurances that a controversial $1.8 billion compensation fund would not be revived and that an IRS settlement protecting Trump and his family from certain tax audits would be limited.
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The nearly $1.8 billion fund was created as part of a legal settlement aimed at compensating people who believe they were wrongfully targeted by the U.S. government. Lawmakers voiced concerns the money could instead go to allies of Trump and people convicted of assaulting police officers during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Tillis told Scripps News that he believes Blanche is negotiating in good faith, but is being hung up by the White House.
"It's clear that the approval to get this done is above his pay grade, and we just need to get the pay grade," Tillis said.
