Senate Confirms Blanche as Attorney General After Narrow Vote

The U.S. Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as attorney general in a narrow 50-49 vote early Saturday morning, capping weeks of contentious negotiations over President Donald Trump's controversial $1.8 billion 'anti-weaponization fund.' The confirmation came after Blanche formally rescinded the fund late Sunday, following intense pressure from Republican Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis.

Blanche issued a statement saying the order came after 'good faith discussions' with committee members and senators. According to The Guardian, while Blanche had repeatedly stated publicly that the fund was dead, the Justice Department had resisted formally confirming this in writing. This had drawn concern from lawmakers that it could be revived, especially after Trump expressed continued support for the idea.

A spokeswoman for Cornyn confirmed the deal to CNBC, stating that 'Sen. Cornyn has reached an agreement with the Department of Justice, which will be issuing a formal order permanently terminating the anti-weaponization fund and making clear in a binding written document that the scope of the audit settlement is limited to only the plaintiffs, including the President, and the IRS.' The order also limits the scope of another provision of the settlement that provided broad immunity for Trump and members of his family from tax audits.

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 12-10 along party lines on Tuesday to advance Blanche's nomination. According to The Los Angeles Times, this sets the stage for a vote by the full Senate this week as Republicans race to shore up support among three potential holdouts in their party: Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, and Susan Collins of Maine.

In a statement accompanying the order, the Justice Department said that 'although the Acting Attorney General has repeatedly advised Congress through testimony, including under oath, as well as in written responses, that the Fund is not moving forward, and the Department has repeatedly represented to district courts that the Fund is not moving forward, today's Order officially rescinds the May 18, 2026 Order.' The document released by Blanche on Sunday night also limits the scope of another provision of the settlement that provided broad immunity for Trump and his family from tax audits.

Cornyn and Tillis had said they wanted to see the promise in writing before they endorsed Blanche's nomination, especially as Trump continued to express support for the idea. The two senators have repeatedly stated that the Justice Department seemed interested in reaching an agreement, but the White House wouldn't budge even to aid the confirmation of Trump's loyal former personal attorney.

According to HuffPost, Blanche's new order reaffirmed that Trump wouldn't have to pay any taxes he might have owed the IRS, which could save him millions by stopping any ongoing IRS enforcement against him or his company. The fund had received more attention than the tax immunity part of the deal.

In a joint statement Monday, Cornyn and Tillis said they were 'pleased' by Blanche's decision and 'look forward to voting to advance his nomination out of the Senate Judiciary Committee soon.' With their backing, the Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to advance Blanche's nomination for attorney general to the full Senate. The committee is scheduled to meet Tuesday morning.

Blanche also clarified that the written order did not imply that the fund had ever been operational. 'No Members were appointed; no funds were transferred; no process for receiving claims was established; no claims were paid,' the retraction order said. 'This Order establishes, beyond any doubt, that there is no Fund.'

Democrats and legal experts have criticized the deal as insufficient, arguing that it does not prevent future payouts or revivals of the fund. According to The Guardian, Brandon DeBot, policy director at the Tax Law Center at NYU, said in a statement: 'These assurances are not worth the paper they’re written on.' Jamie Raskin, the ranking Democrat on the House judiciary committee, said Blanche’s announcement does nothing to prevent the justice department and Trump from creating the weaponization fund under a different name.

Trump again praised the fund on Monday, saying: 'These people were treated so horribly, and this fund could’ve given them some solace.' He added that he had not seen Blanche’s agreement. 'I don’t know what they agreed to,' he said.