Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee delayed a crucial vote on Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general on Wednesday, as two key GOP senators demanded written assurances from the Justice Department about President Donald Trump’s controversial settlement with the Internal Revenue Service. The panel had been scheduled to vote Thursday on advancing Blanche’s nomination to the full Senate, but Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis refused to move forward without additional clarity on the deal.
At the center of the standoff is the settlement of Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS, which included a deal to drop tax claims against the president and a now-scrapped plan to create a $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” designed to compensate people who claim they were wronged by the Justice Department. The Justice Department announced in June that it was no longer moving forward with the fund amid bipartisan outrage, but officials have said the tax audit immunity agreement remains in place. Cornyn and Tillis are demanding that the administration provide written assurances that the fund is truly dead and clarify the scope of the audit immunity deal.
Cornyn, who recently lost his Republican primary race for U.S. Senate in Texas to Trump-endorsed Ken Paxton, has specifically pressed the administration to modify the settlement to make clear that tax audit immunity covers only existing audits and does not protect the president from examination of future tax filings. He told reporters Wednesday that the Justice Department had been “stonewalling” and accused it of refusing to help reach a resolution. “We’re been trying to help them get to a conclusion here and they won’t let us. It’s befuddling to me,” Cornyn said.
The Justice Department sent Cornyn and Tillis new language Wednesday evening in an effort to address their demands, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity. However, Blanche had previously resisted requests for a formal written retraction of the fund, though he told senators at his confirmation hearing earlier this month that the administration would be willing to help craft legislation to bar its creation. Some lawmakers have expressed concern that without a formal written commitment, the fund could be resurrected in the future, especially since Trump has publicly expressed continued support for the idea.
Trump downplayed concerns about Blanche’s confirmation path on Wednesday, calling his attorney general pick and former personal attorney “outstanding.” When asked about Cornyn’s demands, Trump suggested the senator might be upset over the presidential endorsement of his primary opponent. “Maybe John Cornyn’s upset with me because I didn’t endorse him,” Trump told reporters.
The delay reflects broader tensions within the Republican party over the IRS settlement and its implications for presidential power. The settlement itself has drawn intense scrutiny both in Congress and in court. A federal judge handling the case issued a scathing ruling earlier this month, stating that Trump had effectively engaged in self-dealing through the lawsuit and expressing concern that Blanche had signed the settlement given his prior representation of Trump. Blanche has said he disagrees “with the judge’s insinuations” about him.
The postponement echoes a precedent from the previous Trump administration. In January 2019, the Senate Judiciary Committee delayed a vote on William Barr’s nomination as attorney general, though Barr ultimately won confirmation with bipartisan support. Blanche’s nomination has already faced delays, with confirmation hearings held on July 15 and 16, and the panel had attempted to advance his nomination multiple times before this week’s postponement.
Sources
- PBS NewsHour — Details on Blanche’s nomination delay, Cornyn and Tillis’s demands regarding the Trump-IRS settlement, the $1.776 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund, and Trump’s response.
- NPR — Confirmation of the Senate Judiciary Committee postponement, the specific demands for written assurances from Cornyn and Tillis, details on the $10 billion Trump lawsuit against the IRS, and Cornyn’s criticism of DOJ “stonewalling.”
- Justice Department — Announcement of the Anti-Weaponization Fund in May 2026 and the decision in June 2026 to no longer move forward with it.
- Multiple news outlets — Confirmation that the vote was postponed on July 30, 2026, and background on the IRS settlement’s scope and the judge’s ruling on Trump’s self-dealing claims.
