Trump says he may temporarily withdraw Blanche attorney general nomination

President Donald Trump said on Thursday he was prepared to temporarily withdraw Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general, but would keep him in place as acting attorney general and could renominate him later. The move comes as Republican Senators John Cornell of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina have withheld their support, citing concerns about a Justice Department agreement that ends the president’s IRS lawsuit.

The settlement creates a $1.8 billion fund intended to compensate individuals who claim they were unfairly targeted by the government, and includes a broad immunity provision for Trump, his family and businesses from audits of past tax returns. Cornell and Tillis have asked for written assurances on the scope of the immunity deal, which the department has not provided.

"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 in a social-media post.

Both senators are set to leave Congress in January; Tillis announced his retirement last year, and Cornell lost his primary to a Trump-backed challenger. In response, Cornell posted that the president is mistaken if he believes the concerns are limited to him and Tillis.

The Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, has postponed the vote on Blanche’s nomination as officials work to secure sufficient backing. Democrats have uniformly opposed the nomination, while most Republicans have expressed support.