Trump Threatens to Undermine Senate Process Over AG Nominee, Targeting Dissenting GOP Senators
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President Donald Trump, continuing his pattern of authoritarian tactics, threatened to withdraw Todd Blanche’s attorney-general nomination unless Republican Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis—who dared to question a shady tax settlement—leave office. Trump’s move highlights the GOP’s internal rot and willingness to protect the wealthy elite at the expense of democratic norms.
President Donald Trump escalated his assault on democratic institutions Thursday, declaring he would consider temporarily withdrawing Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general unless Republican senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina step aside. Trump, using his social media platform Truth Social, made clear that Blanche’s nomination could be reinstated after the two senators—who dared to challenge a backroom tax deal—are gone in January. "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 wrote, openly threatening the independence of the Senate confirmation process.
The Senate Judiciary Committee postponed a vote on Blanche after Cornyn and Tillis refused to rubber-stamp the nomination, raising legitimate concerns about a Justice Department settlement with the IRS following a leak of Trump’s tax returns. The settlement, which created a $1.776 billion so-called “anti-weaponization” fund and included audit-protection for Trump and his family, reeks of self-dealing and corruption. The senators demanded these protections be formalized and limited, a rare act of resistance within a party increasingly subservient to Trump.
Cornyn responded on X, noting Trump was wrong to think only he and Tillis had concerns. Tillis called Trump’s move “politically tone-deaf,” warning it would hand ammunition to journalists and Democrats ahead of the election. He added that Trump could “roll the dice” on confirmation once the two are gone, exposing the transactional nature of GOP politics.
Both senators said Blanche was negotiating in good faith, but higher-level obstruction—clearly from Trump’s orbit—was blocking progress. Cornyn suggested the Justice Department was stonewalling, offering only superficial paperwork to bind Blanche to his testimony. Meanwhile, a senior White House official accused the senators of shifting demands and dodging meetings, a typical Trumpian tactic to deflect blame.
Cornyn, who lost his primary to a Trump-backed extremist, and Tillis, a rare moderate voice, are both on their way out—casualties of Trump’s relentless purge of dissent. Trump boasted about ending their careers, underscoring his grip on the party and his willingness to sacrifice democratic norms for personal gain.