Senator John Fetterman (D-Pa.) highlighted President Donald Trump’s weakened influence in Congress amid opposition from three outgoing Republican senators to Trump’s nomination of acting Attorney General Todd Blanche for a permanent role at the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Senators Thom Tillis (N.C.), Bill Cassidy (La.), and John Cornyn (Texas) have all expressed doubts about Blanche’s confirmation, particularly concerning the status of a controversial nearly $2 billion “anti-weaponization fund” established under Blanche’s oversight. During a Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing earlier this month, Blanche assured lawmakers that the fund was “dead.” However, Cornyn told reporters he was not convinced by Blanche’s testimony, stating on July 15 that the fund “could be revived at a future date.”

Fetterman told CNN on Friday, July 31, “I don’t see him being confirmed at least certainly through the end of the year, honestly. Trump has zero leverage, whether it’s Cornyn or Cassidy or Tillis or these senators that are leaving.”

Tillis and Cornyn hold crucial votes needed to advance Blanche’s nomination out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, where only one Republican vote can be lost. The absence of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who is recovering from a fall, further complicates the confirmation process.

On Thursday, July 30, Trump said he would consider temporarily rescinding Blanche’s nomination until Cornyn and Tillis leave office in January. Cornyn, however, noted that their departure does not guarantee a smoother confirmation, as a Democrat could potentially fill his seat following the November elections.

Sources