Trump’s attorney general pick faces possible Republican roadblock

Todd Blanche, serving as interim United States Attorney General since April, confronts a possible roadblock from within the Republican Party as he seeks formal confirmation to lead the Department of Justice. Republican Senator John Cornyn expressed scepticism about confirming Blanche to the top federal law enforcement position, with his comments coming one day before a key Senate committee vote scheduled to advance Blanche's nomination.

Cornyn cited concerns about Blanche's stewardship of the Department of Justice during his acting tenure. Before joining President Donald Trump's second term, Blanche served as deputy attorney general and worked as the Republican leader's criminal defence lawyer. The senator's primary concern centres on a settlement Blanche brokered in May in response to a lawsuit Trump filed against the Internal Revenue Service. Under the agreement, Trump and his family would be shielded from future IRS audits, and the deal created an "anti-weaponisation fund" through which individuals deemed to have faced alleged political persecution could seek financial compensation.

Blanche has retreated from supporting the "anti-weaponisation fund" following bipartisan criticism, with opponents describing it as a slush fund benefiting the president's allies. A federal judge ruled the settlement illegal earlier this month, accusing Blanche of double-dealing by representing both the federal government and Trump as a private citizen. During his confirmation hearing, Blanche reassured lawmakers that the fund was defunct, but Cornyn stated he was awaiting written guarantees on the matter, telling reporters: "I haven't seen a single piece of writing that is responsive to what I've requested."

The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote Thursday on Blanche's nomination, the initial step toward a broader Senate confirmation debate. All Republicans on the committee must vote in favour for Blanche to advance to the wider confirmation hearing. While Republican lawmakers have generally been reluctant to oppose Trump, Cornyn has emerged as an increasingly public critic of the president in recent months. Trump endorsed Cornyn's primary opponent, former Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, in May. Paxton won the Republican Party's nomination and will face Democratic candidate James Talarico in what is expected to be one of the closest Senate races of the season.

Cornyn will depart the Senate, where he has served for more than two decades, at the end of his term in January.