President Donald Trump stunned the nation Thursday after he was considering withdrawing Todd Blanche’s attorney general nomination — and left some critics claiming there was billion-dollar reason why.
rump wrote on Truth Social that he would consider pulling Blanche’s name as Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) refused to advance his nomination.
Both had concerns with Trump administration’s scrapped $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund and an audit immunity agreement.
“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,” “Todd Blanche is a STAR, and everyone knows it!” Trump posted.
The 80-year-old president’s retreat raised eyebrows – and drew a rebuke from Cornyn.
“POTUS is mistaken if he believes concerns about the provisions in his tax lawsuit settlement are limited to me and Senator Tillis,” Cornyn posted on X.
Headquarters — the X account formerly known as Kamala Harris’s campaign — argued Trump had financial reasons for backing down on Blanche.
“Trump says he will withdraw Todd Blanche’s AG nomination instead of guaranteeing that he will not use his IRS immunity deal or $1.8B slush fund,” they observed.
New York Times reporter Glenn Thrush echoed the claim.
“If Tillis is correct, Trump has taken himself out of the loop on a tax deal to save him $100 million,” wrote Thrush. “His lawyers, the plaintiffs in a settlement a judge suggested was inappropriate, are not briefing their client, Trump, on Cornyn’s demand to change the deal?”
Several commentators noted a potential flaw in Trump’s new plan — the contents of the Senate in 2027.
“Will Blanche’s prospects actually be better next year?” wondered Andrew Desiderio, of Punchbowl News. “Senate currently at 53-47 and Dems likely to gain seat(s). Trump is also admitting that he’s the reason Blanche is in this position — his retribution campaign creating free agents on the GOP side who have nothing to lose politically.”
“Senate may not be better for him then,” agreed Punchbowl founder Jake Sherman. “BTW – he seems like he’d rather withdraw Blanche than cut the deal to alter the IRS immunity and cancel the anti weaponization fund.”
“Trump seems to be conceding defeat to the Democrats in his quest to make Todd Blanche Attorney General,” noted widely followed Bluesky user Gordon Hill.
Meanwhile Texas Tribune reporter Gabby Birenbaum simply professed herself shocked.
“Wow — Trump says he’d be okay withdrawing Blanche’s nomination and resubmitting once Cornyn/Tillis are gone come 2027,” wrote Birenbaum. “Cornyn has repeatedly said he needs a written assurance on the fund/audit deal to put in writing what Blanche testified to. But WH seems to be an obstacle.”
MeidasTouch editor in chief Ron Filipkowski hurled insults.
“Sounds like Blanche wants to sign off of the language that senators requested to kill Trump’s IRS immunity and slush fund so he can get the gig but his client won’t let him,” opined Filipkowski. “Not really how any of this is supposed to work, but this is a lawless organized crime operation.”
The post ‘Wow’: Trump stuns with public backtrack on Todd Blanche appeared first on Raw Story.
