President Trump said Friday that he understands why Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) is blocking the confirmation of Todd Blanche as attorney general, attributing the hold to Cornyn's bitterness over Trump's endorsement of his primary opponent.
"This is being done by a senator, and I don't really blame him, to be honest with you. I endorsed his opponent," Trump told reporters during a Cabinet meeting at Camp David. "The man that lost, the man that I didn't endorse, has become very angry, and that's OK."
Trump went further, saying he would likely act the same way in Cornyn's position. "I mean, I understand that. I probably would do the same thing. You want to know the truth: I think I'd do the same thing," he added.
Cornyn, along with Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), has publicly opposed Blanche's nomination to serve as the permanent head of the Justice Department. Both senators are demanding written assurance from the DOJ that the proposed $1.776 billion "anti-weaponization" fund is dead, and that Trump and his family will not receive preferential treatment in IRS audits.
"I think I am prepared to vote no, but I do think I owe it to my constituents and to Mr. Blanche to try to negotiate in good faith," Cornyn told reporters Thursday. "And that's what we've been doing. And so, we'll see where things are this morning and see where we go from here."
Trump said Thursday that he considers the fund—intended to compensate individuals who claim they were unfairly targeted by the government—to be "dead," though he added, "Well it is dead, but you know, I wish it weren't." A Senate Judiciary Committee vote to advance Blanche's nomination was canceled Thursday.
Cornyn, who lost the May GOP primary to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton—who had Trump's backing—will leave the Senate in January. He rejected Trump's characterization of his motives, stating, "I voted with him 99.3 percent of the time. That has nothing to do with it." Instead, Cornyn framed his concern as a matter of principle: "This is about making sure that even if you're the president of the United States, you don't get favorable terms from the government in a settlement of a lawsuit that ordinary citizens would not get, like protection from audits by the IRS into the foreseeable future."
Trump, however, insisted that Cornyn had previously viewed Blanche favorably. "He thought he was phenomenal until he lost," Trump said, adding, "He's become a very angry person, and I understand."
The standoff highlights the deepening rift between Trump and Senate Republicans, a dynamic that could complicate the administration's legislative agenda. As the party's midterm prospects face headwinds, internal fights like this one are drawing increased scrutiny. The canceled committee vote leaves Blanche's nomination in limbo, with no clear path forward as both sides dig in.
Helen Huiskes contributed to this report.
