Trump may pull Todd Blanche nomination over tax audit immunity standoff

Washington,UPDATED: Jul 30, 2026 23:34 IST

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he may withdraw acting Attorney General Todd Blanche's nomination for the full-time post rather than accept limits sought by Senate Republicans on a tax audit immunity deal that benefits Trump and members of his family. The agreement was negotiated by Trump with his own Department of Justice.

Trump also made clear that he wants Blanche, his former personal lawyer, to remain in charge of the Justice Department. The Senate Judiciary Committee scrapped a planned vote on Thursday to advance Blanche's nomination after hours of negotiations failed to resolve objections from Republican Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis. With all Democratic senators opposed, a single Republican holdout on the committee could block Blanche's confirmation.

Trump, who called Blanche "a STAR", said he would keep him as acting attorney general until Cornyn of Texas and Tillis of North Carolina leave office. "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," Trump posted on his social media site. Cornyn and Tillis have said they will not support Blanche's nomination unless they get written assurances on the settlement of Trump's lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over his leaked tax returns. Responding to Trump, Cornyn wrote on social media that the president is "mistaken if he believes concerns about the provisions in his tax lawsuit settlement are limited to me and Senator Tillis." He later told reporters, "I don't know whether they think they can wait us out or we'll cave, but I assure you we won't."

A major flashpoint in the settlement was the proposed USD 1.8 billion "Anti-Weaponization Fund", which was meant to pay Trump allies who believed they were wronged by the Justice Department. That part was dropped after bipartisan outrage over the possibility that violent January 6 rioters could benefit. Officials have said another part of the settlement remains in place, giving Trump and members of his family immunity from tax audits. Though Blanche has repeatedly said the fund is dead, lawmakers have sought a written commitment, especially as Trump has continued to back the idea.

Another sticking point was the settlement's audit immunity clause, which said the US government is "forever barred and precluded" from scrutinizing or prosecuting Trump, his sons and the Trump Organisation's current and past tax examinations. Cornyn and Tillis want the administration to change the agreement to make clear that it applies only to existing audits and does not shield future tax filings from examination. Tillis described Trump's approach as "win a battle, lose a war." He added, "It makes no sense to me. This is not popular. The president's not winning on this issue. It is killing some of our candidates because they can't explain it. And now, it looks like they weren't being honest when they said it was inoperative." Most Republican senators oppose the settlement, and Trump has also repeatedly targeted Cornyn and Tillis. Tillis had announced last year that he would not seek re-election and has criticised the administration over the pardons of January 6 rioters and other issues.

Even if Trump withdraws Blanche's nomination, the immediate running of the Justice Department may not change much. Blanche can continue either as acting attorney general or as deputy attorney general, the number two post to which he was confirmed last year. In effect, the dispute has left Blanche's confirmation stalled, with Republican senators pressing for changes to the tax settlement while Trump insists he can wait them out.

With PTI Inputs

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