Former President Donald Trump on Friday intensified his public criticism of Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, linking the Republican senator's resistance to the confirmation of acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to a past dispute over an anti-weaponization fund and Cornyn's recent primary election.
Trump used his social media platform, Truth Social, to accuse Cornyn of previously accepting the nearly $2 billion anti-weaponization fund before Trump endorsed Cornyn's opponent in the Texas Republican primary, who subsequently won the nomination. The fund is one of the key issues that Cornyn and Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., are seeking to eliminate or significantly alter as a condition for confirming Blanche.
Cornyn and Tillis have been seeking explicit, written proposals from the Department of Justice and the administration to permanently remove the anti-weaponization fund and to revise audit immunity terms for Trump, which were part of a settlement agreement concerning his tax returns. Blanche, in his role as acting attorney general, has been involved in these discussions.
"John Cornyn never had a problem with the so-called ‘Fund,’ which will not benefit me, but rather the great American Patriots who were hunted down like dogs and whose lives were unfairly and illegally destroyed by the Crooked Joe Biden Administration, until after I decided to Endorse and Support his Republican Primary opponent in Texas, who easily won the Nomination for the United States Senate," Trump stated on Truth Social. He added that "Todd Blanche, a good man, should be immediately approved as U.S. Attorney General."
Cornyn, speaking to reporters Thursday, indicated that the confirmation process was experiencing complications from higher up in the White House, suggesting the impasse was not solely between him and Blanche. "I thought we were pretty close to landing the plane last night, but this morning there's been some more complications," Cornyn said. "I think if this were just between me and Todd Blanche, we would have worked this out. But apparently he's getting some pushback from higher-ups at the White House. I don't know who, but this doesn't need to be this hard."
Trump had previously threatened to withdraw Blanche's nomination from the Senate if concessions were not met. Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, had postponed Blanche's confirmation hearing, which had been scheduled for Thursday.
Some Republicans have expressed reservations about the anti-weaponization fund due to concerns it could direct taxpayer money to individuals involved in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Trump, however, has defended the concept of compensating victims of government abuse, stating, "I will always feel that these victims of government abuse should be paid back for what they were forced to endure, their lives have been ruined."
Beyond Cornyn and Tillis, Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and John Curtis, R-Utah, are reportedly undecided on whether to support Blanche's full Senate confirmation. Given the expectation of universal Democratic opposition, the votes of these senators could be pivotal in his confirmation chances.