President Donald Trump stated on Thursday that he would consider temporarily withdrawing Todd Blanche’s nomination for U.S. Attorney General. The president’s comments, posted on the Truth Social platform, followed a delay in the confirmation process due to opposition from Republican Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina.
The senators have cited concerns regarding a Department of Justice settlement of a lawsuit between the president and the IRS.
President Trump’s statement was posted hours after the Senate Judiciary Committee, on which both Cornyn and Tillis serve, postponed a scheduled vote on Blanche’s nomination. Blanche is currently serving as the Acting Attorney General.
In his social media post, Trump wrote that Cornyn and Tillis are “refusing to vote for this Great Nominee, who will remain, in any event, as Acting.”
He added, “I have no objection to temporarily withdrawing Todd’s name, if they do not do the right thing, and putting him back after Cornyn and Tillis are out of office.”
Both senators are set to leave the Senate in January. Tillis announced last year he would not seek reelection, and Cornyn was defeated in his primary race in May after Trump endorsed his opponent.
In his post, Trump also referenced the senators’ past voting records, writing, “Remember, both Cornyn and Tillis voted for Merrick Garland,” who was confirmed as Attorney General in 2021 under the Biden administration.
Shortly after Trump’s post, Senator Cornyn responded on the social media platform X.
“The President is mistaken if he believes concerns about the provisions in his tax lawsuit settlement are limited to me and Senator Tillis,” Cornyn wrote.
The specific details of the Justice Department settlement that prompted the senators’ opposition have not been made public. While the nomination is pending in the Senate, Blanche continues to lead the Department of Justice in his capacity as Acting Attorney General.
