President Donald Trump criticized Senators Thom Tillis of North Carolina and John Cornyn of Texas for opposing his nomination of Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to the permanent position. Trump suggested he might retain Blanche in the acting role and emphasized the need to pass the Anti-Weaponization Bill, which aims to create a compensation program for alleged victims of political weaponization. This bill is intended to replace a previously proposed fund that faced criticism for lacking congressional authorization.
During a post on Truth Social, Trump stated that if the two senators do not support Blanche, he would keep him as Acting Attorney General and push for the bill's passage. Both Senators Cornyn and Tillis indicated they would not support Blanche's nomination unless the demise of the controversial fund was formalized. Cornyn expressed his intent to negotiate in good faith regarding Blanche's nomination, while Tillis criticized the proposed fund as a "payout pot for punks" in response to Trump's comments.
Trump also connected the senators' opposition to his endorsement of their primary opponents, suggesting that their actions were motivated by personal grievances. Cornyn denied this claim, calling it a "convenient excuse". Blanche is scheduled for a vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday regarding his nomination.