President Trump's threat to withdraw acting Attorney General Todd Blanche's nomination has laid bare a growing rift within the Senate GOP over a controversial $1.776 billion fund, with retiring Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) emerging as the leading voices of dissent.
The fund, which many Republicans view as a vehicle for Trump to direct money to allies, has become a sticking point in Blanche's confirmation. Cornyn and Tillis have demanded written assurances that the Justice Department would eliminate the fund, but Trump's response—floating the possibility of pulling the nomination—has left some in the party bitter.
“The president has a unique way of negotiating,” Cornyn told reporters Thursday after a scheduled business meeting on Blanche was postponed. “He may think he's got us where he wants us. But there's no guarantee who the senators will be next year, and he may have a weaker hand.”
Tillis echoed the concern, warning that the fund is a political liability for GOP candidates. “This is not popular. The president's not winning on this issue. It is killing some of our candidates because they can't explain it,” he said, adding that the only logical conclusion from the standoff is that someone wants to revive the fund later.
Wider GOP Unease
Though Cornyn and Tillis have taken the brunt of Trump's ire, they are not alone. Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio), facing a competitive reelection, declined to commit to supporting Blanche, noting that “a lot of people share those concerns.” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) told reporters she raised similar issues about the scope of the Trump family settlement agreement in a private meeting with Blanche.
Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) said the push by Cornyn and Tillis amounts to “exercising their right for advice and consent.” Even loyal Trump ally Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) admitted, “I don't think any of us know enough about it.”
Cornyn and Tillis have become the public faces of this internal GOP battle, a role that retiring Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said reflects their courage. “Many Republican senators agree with them but have been afraid to say the first word,” Durbin said.
The Fund's Future
The standoff highlights a broader question about Trump's willingness to abandon the anti-weaponization fund, which Democrats see as a tool for the president to shield himself and his family from legal scrutiny. The related memo granting immunity to Trump, his children, and businesses over past tax filings has also drawn sharp criticism.
Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said his focus is on getting Blanche's nomination through in the coming days, while Blanche himself held a last-minute meeting with Cornyn and Tillis Thursday afternoon. But the outcome remains uncertain, as Trump downplays Cornyn's hold on the nomination.
Cornyn pushed back on Trump's public statement that he would yank the nomination, writing online: “POTUS is mistaken if he believes concerns about the provisions in his tax lawsuit settlement are limited to me and Senator Tillis.”
For now, the fund's fate hangs in the balance, with the lame-duck status of both Cornyn and Tillis giving them a freer hand to challenge the president—a dynamic that could reshape the confirmation battle and the GOP's internal dynamics ahead of the midterms.
