Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s won the support of a key Senate committee Aug. 4 to be confirmed to his role permanently, but his pathway to approval from the full Senate isn’t assured yet.
The 12-10 vote on party lines took place a day after Blanche’s nomination got a major boost, when Republican Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina agreed to support him.They did so after Blanche formally dropped a proposed $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund and clarified limits to President Donald Trump’s controversial immunity on tax issues.
“We want to express our gratitude to Mr. Blanche and his staff for working with us on this, and we look forward to voting to advance his nomination out of the Senate Judiciary Committee soon,” they said in a joint statement.
Trump nominated Blanche, his former personal criminal defense lawyer, for the permanent attorney general role in June, several weeks after firing Attorney General Pam Bondi. Blanche was previously serving as deputy attorney general.
Bondi had come under fire for her handling of the DOJ’s files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a former longtime friend of Trump’s. Trump was also reportedly frustrated with Bondi for having little success in prosecuting his political opponents and critics.
Since becoming acting attorney general, Blanche has secured a controversial indictment against one prominent Trump critic, former FBI Director James Comey.
Blanche also oversaw the DOJ granting Trump and his two oldest sons immunity from any past tax liability and by creating an “anti-weaponization” fund that could have paid taxpayer dollars to Trump supporters who committed crimes during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.
In the face of bipartisan backlash, Blanche has said the DOJ won’t move forward with the fund, which a federal judge has since also blocked. The immunity agreement, which came after Trump filed a lawsuit against the IRS, has also been widely criticized as self-dealing on Trump’s part, given he nominates and can fire DOJ leaders.
“I wasn’t involved in the settlement. I could have been involved, but I didn’t choose to be,” Trump told reporters May 21.
Even if Blanche wins approval from the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Aug. 4 vote, he still needs to win approval from the full Senate. A vote from the full body could take place before the end of the week, when senators may leave the capital for a scheduled August recess.
Two committee Republicans voiced hesitancy on Blanche
Two committee Republicans placed conditions on supporting Blanche’s pathway to a full Senate vote.
Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican who will be leaving the Senate in 2027 after losing his primary to a Trump-backed candidate, told reporters on July 27 that Blanche still did not have his support because the DOJ had yet to “sufficiently” address his concerns about modifying the IRS settlement agreement to formally kill the “anti-weaponization” fund.
“I don’t know why they’re so reluctant to do that,” Cornyn said. “It has to be in writing.”
On July 16, Sen. Thom Tillis, R–North Carolina, who is also set to leave the Senate in January after deciding not to run for re-election, said he wouldn’t provide his support until Blanche met with a group of women who have accused convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein of abuse.
Blanche met with those women later that day, although several of them expressed frustration and disappointment following the meeting. While praising Blanche for taking the meeting, Tillis reportedly later said that, like Cornyn, he wanted to see changes to the IRS settlement agreement.
The two senators changed their stance after Blanche publicly shared written documents on the terms of Trump’s IRS settlement. One document said a previous order creating the “anti-weaponization” fund “is rescinded.” A second document said the tax benefits for the Trump family members and business will only apply retroactively to previous tax years, and won’t benefit anyone beyond those Trump associates.
Controversies since becoming acting AG
Blanche has already demonstrated in his acting role that he’s willing to push boundaries to advance Trump’s agenda.
Since taking on the top role at the Justice Department in April, Blanche has overseen a new prosecution against Trump target James Comey, charging the former FBI director with threatening to harm or kill the president by posting on social an image of seashells in the shape of “86 47.”
“86” is a slang term that means “to throw out” or “to get rid of,” according to Merriam-Webster. Trump is the 47th U.S. president.
Comey asked a federal judge July 27 to dismiss the lawsuit, saying it’s an unconstitutional effort to punish him for speaking out against the president.
It’s the second criminal case brought against Comey since Trump called for him to face charges in a September 2025 social media post. The first case, alleging Comey lied to Congress, was dismissed in November.
The DOJ’s settlement with Trump and his two oldest sons has also sparked widespread ethics concerns. Government watchdogs have argued it was inappropriate for DOJ lawyers, who are arguably under the control of the president, to make such a deal with the president’s personal lawyers, with no judicial scrutiny.
The tax portion of the settlement could be a huge financial boon to the president. The New York Times reported in 2020 that Trump was in a decade-long audit battle with the IRS over a claimed $72.9 million tax refund. Losing that battle could cost him more than $100 million, according to the Times.
On July 13, a federal judge ruled the Trump lawsuit, which sought $10 billion from the IRS for failing to prevent a contractor from leaking the Trumps’ tax returns, was an improper attempt to legitimize giving the Trumps tax benefits and setting up the anti-weaponization fund.
The judge blocked the three Trumps from using or referring to the deal in any official proceedings. However, it’s unclear whether that order constrains the DOJ’s and IRS’s private dealings with the president.
Support for Blanche
Amid hurdles in Blanche’s nomination process, Trump continued to back his former lawyer.
“Confirm Todd Blanche without delay,” Trump posted on social media July 28.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R–Iowa, also consistently made it clear he backed the president’s pick. At a July 15 confirmation hearing for Blanche, Grassley praised the DOJ under Blanche’s leadership for capturing fugitives on the FBI’s “Most Wanted” list and arresting people tied to the illegal fentanyl trade.
“For those who care to judge firmly and fairly, it’s a record of success,” Grassley said.
