President Donald Trump stated on Friday, July 31, 2026, that he does not blame Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) for blocking the nomination of Todd Blanche as attorney general. Trump said Cornyn’s opposition is retaliation because Trump endorsed Cornyn’s GOP primary opponent.

Speaking during a Cabinet meeting at Camp David in Maryland, Trump said, “I endorsed his opponent. The man that lost, the man that I didn’t endorse, has become very angry, and that’s OK.” He added, “I probably would do the same thing.”

Senator Cornyn has pushed back against Trump’s characterization, stating on Thursday that his opposition is not about personal hard feelings. Cornyn said, “This is about making sure that even if you’re the president of the United States, you don’t get favorable terms from the government in a settlement of a lawsuit that ordinary citizens would not get, like protection from audits by the IRS into the foreseeable future.”

Both Cornyn and Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) have expressed concerns about Blanche’s nomination and seek confirmation from the Justice Department that a proposed $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund is no longer active. This fund was intended to compensate individuals who believe they were wrongfully targeted by the government. Trump declared on Thursday that he considers the fund “dead.”

Trump also remarked that Cornyn, now in his fourth term, thought Blanche was “phenomenal until he lost.”

Sources